LNP elder Vaughan Johnson says it was a mistake to merge the Liberal and National parties in Queensland, and it's paying the price of regional neglect.
Almost a decade on from the merger, the man who served as chief whip in the Newman government says he now believes it was wrong, and rural and regional Queensland have paid a heavy price.
"Even though at the time I supported it, I don't support it now," he has told AAP, calling on the state LNP and the federal coalition to stop their "bulls***" treatment of the regions.
Mr Johnson said there was anger in the Nationals camp about the failings of southeast Queensland Liberals at Saturday's state election, and about what the 2008 merger had done in heartland Nationals territory.
"There's been a lot of bulls*** for a long time about what's going on, not only in Queensland, but in the federal sphere and the way the regions have been treated by the hierarchy of the party," he said.
"This isn't just recently. I've been talking to my former and current colleagues for a long while. This has got to change."
Mr Johnson stopped short of calling for a demerger, and said it was up to LNP leader Tim Nicholls to decide if he'd stay on as leader.
But he had some pretty pointed observations and advice for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: take a leaf out of Labor's book and re-establish party discipline.
"What's going on in Canberra has not helped us in Queensland. I'd say to the prime minister he needs to take stock of his situation, and start showing leadership.
"My best advice to the feds is keep your noses out of state affairs in Queensland and start and get your own party room clean in Canberra."
Earlier on Sunday, federal Nationals appeared to be distancing themselves from their Liberal partners after One Nation split the conservative vote in regional Queensland seats.
Rogue federal Nationals MP George Christensen, from north Queensland, took to Facebook to apologise to people who voted for One Nation, suggesting the LNP had driven them away.
" ... we need to listen more, work harder, stand up more for conservative values and regional Queensland and do better to win your trust and your vote," he wrote on Facebook.
"I think a lot of that starts with the Turnbull government, its leadership and its policy direction."
Cabinet minister Matt Canavan said the Nationals had to maintain the party's identity at the federal level.
"That is the clear message from last night: people in the regions want to have someone in their corner fighting for them," he told ABC TV.
Mr Turnbull has distanced himself from the LNP's performance in Saturday's poll.
"That was a state election, fought on state issues," he told reporters.
