Liberal leader Angus Taylor pledged to restore confidence in the party as he officially launched the party's candidate for the Farrer by-election on May 9, which was sparked by the resignation for former leader Sussan Ley after she was knifed.
"We need to restore confidence in us, we understand that, but I'm confident that we have a team here that can do exactly that," he told reporters in Albury on Monday.
Albury councillor and community lawyer Raissa Butkowski also centred her pitch around addressing cost of living in her first engagement alongside the leader, a day after she was pre-selected.
"We have families who are struggling with the cost of living. We have farmers who are dealing with significant uncertainty, and we also have a local health service that needs fixing," she said.
The Liberals and Nationals face running behind a surging One Nation, while popular progressive independent Michelle Milthorpe also threatens the major parties after she took a chunk out of Ms Ley's margin at the 2025 federal election
Mr Taylor has overseen a coalition plunge to its lowest vote despite rolling Ms Ley over poor polling in the hopes of turning the ship around.
One Nation gained a point to poll at 24 per cent while the coalition dropped a point to 22 per cent in Resolve Political Monitor polling published in Nine newspapers on Sunday.
It marks the first time the coalition has dropped below One Nation in the monitor, although other polls have put its primary vote in the teens and One Nation's in the high 20s.
Labor's primary vote was 29 per cent, down two points since February - the first time it has dipped below 30 per cent since March 2025.
Half of voters polled indicated they would support a minor party or independent over a major party for the first time in the monitor's history.
The Nationals have also refreshed their leadership team ahead of the by-election, after Matt Canavan took over the leadership following the sudden resignation of David Littleproud, who proclaimed he couldn't continue in the role because he was "buggered".
Senator Canavan outlined a nationalistic agenda and derided climate action over a preference for expanding fossil fuel production to bring down energy prices as he prepares to stem the bleeding to the more conservative One Nation.
Senator Canavan gave himself the trade, investment and tourism portfolio.
Mr Littleproud remains in the shadow ministry, but not cabinet, and takes on the emergency services and tourism portfolios.
Former leader Michael McCormack has been elevated to shadow cabinet after being dumped by Mr Littleproud, taking on the water and veterans' affairs.
Nascent Nationals' deputy Darren Chester takes agriculture, fisheries and forestry.
Former deputy leader Kevin Hogan, who unsuccessfully ran against Senator Canavan for the leadership, has been dropped from shadow cabinet, and takes over the assistant treasurer and financial services portfolio.
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