One Nation leader Pauline Hanson fought back tears in a TV interview on Thursday about her deteriorating relationship with colleague Senator Brian Burston.
Senator Hanson told Sky News that Senator Burston had tried to defect to the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party after their disagreement on company tax cuts.
Senator Hanson claimed Senator Burston had reached out to the rival party but was told by its executives "we don't want you because we don't trust you".
"This isn't the first time Brian's stabbed me in the back," she said.
"This hurts me. It hurts me deeply because … It means so much to me what I'm trying to do. And for him to turn around and do this to me… It's hard but I'm going to keep going."
"I will win," she said.
In a separate interview on Sky News on Thursday, Senator Burston refuted claims that he was looking to defect and said he hoped to "patch things up" with Senator Hanson.
"I think there is a way through this," he said.
But on Friday, the NSW leader of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party Robert Borsak said Senator Burston did in fact touch base in an attempt to defect.
Mr Borsak said the senator made an approach via an “intermediary” to the party’s state director to discuss becoming the party’s only federal voice in Canberra.
Senator Burston is supporting the government's $35.6 billion corporate tax cut plan in a direct challenge to his leader's authority.
The senator said he was blindsided when Senator Hanson withdrew support for the cuts after initially agreeing to back them.
One Nation Senator Brian Burston and One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson in the Senate. Source: AAP
He plans to honour the deal struck in March with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann.
Labor's Brendan O'Connor said the development was evidence of a "civil war" in One Nation.
The Coalition's bid to gradually lower Australia’s company tax rate from 30 percent to 25 percent was dealt a seemingly fatal blow last week when Senator Hanson backflipped on the previous deal and indicated her three senators would vote 'no'.
Senator Hanson said the policy had not been "well-received" by voters and claimed the government had failed to meet its end of the deal that secured her support.
Additional reporting: AAP
