Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Liberals must find votes in the centre rather than “chasing One Nation down that right wing populist burrow”.
Mr Turnbull has lamented his old party’s shift to the right since he left politics, saying it has stopped talking policy and become preoccupied with culture wars.
He said on Friday the bid to stop bleeding conservatives to One Nation was leaving Labor the sole option for Australia’s moderate majority.
“They’ve got to start sounding like the Liberal Party ought to be sounding, which is talking about the economy, talking about tax, talking about productivity,” Mr Turnbull said.
“If they focus on the economy, then people will start listening to them again.
“Australian politics is determined at the centre, and unfortunately … the only major political party that is operating at the centre of Australian politics is the Labor Party.
“The Liberal Party has become like a National Party-lite chasing One Nation down that right wing populist burrow.
“And all they’re doing by doing that is enhancing the credibility of One Nation.
“It’s a terrible abdication of responsibility to be a viable, electable opposition.”
The comments came as One Nation looked likely to take up to four traditionally safe Liberal seats in South Australia.
Polls heading into last week’s state election predicted One Nation would score big at the ballot box, with a Newspoll suggesting the party’s surge paired with Labor’s gains could wipe out the Liberals.
As of Friday afternoon, the Liberal Party was set to hang on to its status as opposition by one seat.
The SA election has broadly been seen as a test of One Nation’s ability to turn its poll power into votes, with analysts saying the outcome should serve as an indicator to future state and federal contests.
One Nation will have a chance to prove itself at the federal level in the upcoming Farrer by-election scheduled for May 9.
It has also promised a big showing at the Victorian state election at the end of the year.
