Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt needed little encouragement to turn the political blowtorch onto One Nation's Hunter aspirations during a visit to the region on Wednesday.
It comes as the right-wing party has pulled ahead of Labor as the most popular party in the nation in latest polling, while the Coalition has sunk to a distant third in its standing with voters.
Senator Watt accused One Nation of saying one thing in the Hunter and behaving completely differently in Canberra.
"From a Labor perspective, we're aware that One Nation have hopes to pick up seats in the Hunter Valley," he told the Newcastle Herald.
"But the key problem for One Nation is that they are not on the side of working people, and their record shows that.
"They say they stand up for battlers, but they vote against every form of cost-of-living relief that we have provided, and even right now the tax cuts that we're trying to provide through the budget."
While Cessnock and Singleton appear to be the most likely areas where One Nation will win votes, there is also a view that its reach could extend into the Upper Hunter and Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie.
Senator Watt echoed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's challenge to One Nation to come up with solutions to issues plaguing voters rather than being a party of grievance.
"When they (One Nation) come to Canberra they always vote with the Liberal Party," he said.
"We are more than happy to have the fight with One Nation about who is actually delivering for working people," Senator Watt said.
"The federal members in the Hunter have built really good reputations for working hard for their community, for delivering to their community, and never losing their working-class roots.
"I think that the key issue is just that they (One Nation) are not on the side of working people, and their record shows that."
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has said the Coalition would work with others to defeat Labor at the next federal election, and did not rule out a preference deal with One Nation.
"People are angry around Australia," he said.
"They've had enough of this rotten Labor government that's taking this country in the wrong direction."
The Prime Minister said the Coalition not ruling out a preference deal was a far cry from the Liberals in the 1990s, who put One Nation last when Senator Hanson first entered politics.
