Big hurdle for Angus Taylor as One Nation draws level with Coalition

For the first time, One Nation is on level pegging with the Coalition, presenting a major challenge for new Liberal leader Angus Taylor in winning back conservative voters.

Today's opinion poll by the Resolve Political Monitor, published in The Sydney Morning Herald was the first since Taylor deposed Sussan Ley last Friday.

It shows One Nation support at 23 per cent in the primary vote, putting the populist party equal with the Coalition.

READ MORE: Angus Taylor ousts Liberal leader Sussan Ley after just nine months

One bright spot for Taylor was voters rating him 3 percentage points over Ley.

But the overall picture is a sobering one for the new Liberal leader and his deputy, Jane Hume. 

Backing for the Coalition has ebbed away, from 28 per cent last month to another record low, while One Nation support has skyrocketed from 18 per cent since January.

Taylor, appearing with Hume on Today this morning, said winning back disaffected Liberal voters was crucial.

"We want to see people who are Liberal voters, who have voted Liberal in the past, or who might be considering voting the last election or in the future," he said.

READ MORE: One Nation's popularity is surging. But what does Pauline Hanson's party actually stand for?

"We want to see them coming back and we know the way they will come back is if they see us fighting for them on the issues that matter to them."

The number one issue facing the new Liberal leadership team is the white-hot subject of immigration, which is largely behind the surge in One Nation support over the past months.

Last weekend, Taylor dialled up the tone about immigration levels, questioning whether migrants share Australian values, and whether the mix of Australian migrants has been right to date.

Hume insisted today a new-look Liberal immigration and refugees policy would not be racist.

"There's no doubt that what we need to ensure is we have lower numbers because we need time for housing, for infrastructure to services, to catch up with the high population growth," she said.

"But we also need to ensure that we have our way of life protected."

The first major test for Taylor will be a byelection in Ley's NSW seat of Farrer, after his predecessor swiftly announced she was quitting politics following her dumping.

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