Liberal Senator Alex Antic Calls One Nation's Malcolm Roberts a Clear Thinker as One Nation Leads Coalition in Polls

Liberal senator Alex Antic described One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts as a clear thinker and decent bloke after Opposition Leader Angus Taylor spent last week highlighting Roberts' antisemitic and fringe views. Taylor responded in Sydney by stating that Roberts had said some extraordinary things, including that the United States is the worst terrorist organisation in the world.

Antic has long clashed with Liberal leaders over discipline, and party moderates have viewed him as a persistent internal problem. The Liberal Party holds five lower house seats in South Australia after losing the March state election to Labor, while One Nation holds four.

One Nation has held a polling lead over the Coalition for several months. Antic is seeking the presidency of the Liberal Party's South Australian division, a role never before contested by a sitting senator, and has publicly endorsed One Nation's South Australian MP Cory Bernardi.

Federal opposition MPs have ruled out coalition deals with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson at the national level.