Nationals leader Michael McCormack believes Tasmanian Liberals should be delighted - not angry - about a new recruit for the coalition in the island state.
Senior Tasmanian Liberals are reportedly pushing to shun independent-turned-National Steve Martin at the next election, nervous at the prospect he could jump the queue on a joint Senate ticket.
Mr McCormack is unperturbed.
"It's another voice for Tasmania in government, it's another voice for Tasmania in the coalition," Mr McCormack told Sky News.
"They should be delighted, everybody should be delighted in the coalition, this is a good outcome for Tasmania mainly but it's a good outcome for the coalition generally and certainly a good outcome for the National Party."
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Nationals frontbencher Darren Chester said there was nothing new about the coalition partners running separate Senate tickets.
"There have been cases in the past where the Nationals senators have run by their own ticket and just run by themselves and achieved a quota in their own right," he told the ABC on Tuesday.
The Tasmanian Liberals are likely to resist any moved for a joint Senate ticket, like in NSW and Victoria, planning instead to impose the West Australian model where the coalition parties run separately.
Senator Martin said he expected to be number one on the Nationals' ticket.
"We were asked if there was going to be a dual ticket, well that's a party organisation decision, not mine. And I certainly haven't asked the Liberals to run on their ticket either," he told ABC radio.
"I expect to run number one on the National ticket for Tasmania, being the one and only National senator for Tasmania.
Mr McCormack said the man dubbed the Tasmanian tiger could "absolutely" win the next election, given his strong credentials.
Senator Martin joined the Nationals on Monday, three months after replacing his one-time party leader Jacqui Lambie after she resigned over dual citizenship.
The former Devonport mayor is the first Tasmanian Nationals federal representative since inaugural federal leader William McWilliams in 1927.
