CANBERRA — The Coalition has directed its preferences to One Nation ahead of independent Michelle Milthorpe in the Farrer byelection to prevent teal policies from gaining ground. The Liberals and Nationals have both placed One Nation before Milthorpe on their how-to-vote cards.

Polling suggests One Nation will win the New South Wales seat of Farrer on Liberal and National preferences. Milthorpe has received a small proportion of her funding from Climate 200.

"If you vote teal you get Green. And so whilst preferences, beyond preferencing the National party, are picking the least worst option, and we want people to vote for the Liberal party and the National party, the truth is we don't want to see teal policies for Farrer or for this country," Leader of the Opposition Angus Taylor said.

Taylor linked the preference decision to the Coalition's broader stance on regional policy. "I think teal policies, Labor policies are absolute existential for the regions and the Labor government right now. If you get out into these regions, you see what it's doing to them," he said.