This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

One Nation has followed through on its promise to direct preferences in the crucial Longman byelection away from Labor, placing the Liberal National party’s candidate, Trevor Ruthenberg, just ahead of a notorious far-right nationalist activist on its how-to-vote card.

Last week Pauline Hanson addressed her supporters over social media to play down suggestions she would be favouring either major party candidate, telling them “you own your preferences, not the political party”, but One Nation’s how-to-vote card sets out its “guide”, which places Ruthernberg well ahead of Labor’s Susan Lamb.

While the Liberal party remains shy over claiming any preference deal with One Nation, both the LNP and the Hanson-led party have placed each other’s respective candidates at No 7 out of a field of 11 on their how-to-vote cards, with One Nation placing Labor at 10 and the Greens’ candidate last.

Both Labor and the LNP have placed Jim Saleam – the leader of the Australia First party, which wants an end to all migration – last. One Nation ranked Saleam eighth, two ahead of Labor’s Susan Lamb.

Ruthenberg has spent the past week avoiding preference questions, maintaining it was a matter for the party.

“Mate, I’m out doorknocking the whole time, I’m out talking to the folks, the preferences were struck and done by headquarters,” Ruthenberg said from outside a Morayfield pre-poll station on Tuesday, where drivers yelled “go One Nation, yew” and “don’t be a fucking mug” as they passed.

“All I know is that I really want people to vote for me, I want them to put big Trev No 1 and that is what I am working hard for.”

A spokesman for the LNP would only say that the party was “asking people to give Trevor Ruthenberg their first preference and number every box”.

One Nation preferences are expected to play a major role in deciding the outcome of the byelection and, in 2016, the party’s preferences split 52% to 48% in 12 of Queensland’s 30 federal seats. At last year’s state election, One Nation averaged about 20% of the vote where it fielded candidates but just won one seat. It directed preferences away from LNP sitting members but the LNP preferenced One Nation above Labor.

The LNP and One Nation remain hesitant to claim an association with each other as Labor can exploit the link and damage both politically.

The LNP also avoided endorsing former Labor leader Mark Latham’s robocall, which was authorised by Hanson and directed at Longman voters, accusing Bill Shorten of being a liar.

The state LNP leader, Deb Frecklington, who joined Ruthenberg and ousted Queensland Liberal MP Jane Prentice at the pre-poll booth, said “Labor lies” were “dirty politics”.

“Like Mediscare, [the] lies around the issues here in Longman are exactly what people are sick of,” she said. “They are sick of that sort of dirty politics and I would encourage the Labor party and Bill Shorten to get out of the gutter.”

When pressed, Frecklington said she “was not backing what Mark Latham has said or done at all”.

“I am just saying that he is reiterating the lies that Bill Shorten has been getting around, and I am saying that people are sick of dirty politics, they are sick of this sort of behaviour from their politicians,” she said.

Longman byelection: will One Nation decide who wins? Read more

Speaking at a press conference in Braddon, where Labor also faces an uphill battle to hold on to its seat, Shorten said he would not be “distracted by that sideshow”.

“The fact of the matter is when you vote for One Nation, you’re actually getting Malcolm Turnbull,” he said, while leaving the actual attacks to other senior ministers, such as Chris Bowen.

“Mark Latham has fallen out with everybody he has ever worked with and Pauline Hanson has fallen out with everybody she has ever worked with, so those two charlatans deserve each other,” Bowen said.

Asked about Latham’s comments the deputy Labor leader, Tanya Plibersek, said “honestly, who thinks what Mark Latham thinks”, while Doug Cameron laughed and agreed.

“If Mark Latham does to Pauline Hanson’s vote what he did to Labor’s vote, I am not at all worried,” Plibersek said.