Senior Liberal Christopher Pyne would rather voters choose Labor than independents or minor parties.

He says the Palmer United Party "disaster" is an example of why voters should avoid them, as Clive Palmer faces serious issues with his Queensland Nickel business after having lost two of his senators, with just one remaining.

"Quite frankly, whether it's Labor or Liberal, we have the processes in place to ensure that we don't have the kinds of outcomes that happen with something like the Palmer United Party or One Nation or whatever particular political party is passing at the time," he told the Nine Network on Friday.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon says Mr Pyne's almost bemusing comments reflect what the major parties have been doing for years - cosying up to each other.

"They don't want anyone to affect their duopoly and to challenge them is obviously heresy from their point of view," he told ABC radio on Friday.

The senator said he was nothing like Clive Palmer - nor was his party, the Nick Xenophon Team, which will run a candidate against Mr Pyne in South Australia at the next federal election.