Liberal Senator Lucy Gichuhi could be facing the end of her political career following reports she will be relegated to fourth place on the party's South Australian ticket at the next election.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described the Kenyan-born Senator as "an inspiration" after she defected from Family First to join the Liberal Party in February but the move could see her lose her seat in the parliament.
The party's right-faction has not embraced the socially conservative senator and will look to install Adelaide City councillor Alex Antic above her on the ticket, the ABC reported on Tuesday.
Assistant Minister for Water and Agriculture Anne Ruston is expected to take top spot, with Senator David Fawcett or Mr Antic to snare second position - leaving Senator Gichuhi in a battle to retain her seat from the near-impossible fourth position.
Senator Gichuhi's potential demise has reignited discussion about diversity within the Liberal Party but Senator Ruston was quick to point out the party's democratic selection process.
"The wonderful thing about the Liberal Party is the fact that it is our pre-selectors that make the decision about who is going to sit where in the Senate ticket," she told reporters in Adelaide on Tuesday.
"I'm certainly really confident that the pre-selectors, the 250 people who get to choose the order of the ticket for the Senate going into the next election, will make a very wise decision."
She shut down suggestions Senator Gichuhi's place on the ticket would make a mockery of Mr Turnbull's "inspiration" comment.
"Lucy is an inspiration," she said.
"Anybody who saw her maiden speech and that knows Lucy's story knows that she is an inspirational person."
Liberal Party state director Sascha Meldrum has been contacted for comment.
