Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce believes the coalition is heading over a cliff, but still thinks it can turn things around.
Mr Joyce says the Turnbull government needs to be brutally honest in recognising a primary vote in the 20s is "kinda crazy", otherwise a lot of MPs will be looking for jobs after the federal election.
Some people need a "kick up the ass" to avoid getting "smacked between the eyes again" like in last weekend's by-election losses, he says.
"If you don't change, that result won't change, I can assure you of that," he told Sky News on Tuesday night.
MPs are united and "rah rah" in the joint party room but Mr Joyce says when they separate they question how things are really going.
"I'd rather get the hate mail and get the opprobrium and jerk ourselves back into gear and win the next election than sit back in the rah rah group and say everything's fine, because it ain't fine when your vote's in the 20s," he said.
Liberal candidate Trevor Ruthenberg walked away with a primary vote of 29 per cent in the Longman by-election on Saturday.
One Nation managed 15.9 per cent while leader Pauline Hanson was on a cruise in the Irish Sea, Mr Joyce pointed out.
Selling policies and following through are the big issues.
"If you want to stick with your company tax cuts you've got to say to yourself 'this message isn't selling, what are we doing wrong, how are we going to get this message through?'," he said.
"I believe you still can do it, but it's not your priority number one."
That priority is power prices.
But not the Paris Agreement or working toward reducing the global temperature if it means people will have to pay more for energy.
And he's vehemently opposed to going down a costly path of reducing agriculture emissions.
"If we go down that path then forget it, I'm out. See you later. Goodbye. That's just nut case stuff," he said.
"We're not paying the bill for that. Those days are over and unless you focus on it you're going to get smacked, you're going to get smacked every time you walk into the front bar."
He's also still backing Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister and believes the government can turn it around by getting out in the electorates, talking to the people about their fears, their desires and to listen with empathy.
"Then bloody well go back and fight for it when you go back (to Canberra)," he said.
