The Nationals are working to head off a preference deal between minor parties which could eliminate the junior Coalition partner from the race to steal the Hunter electorate off Labor.
Independent candidate Stuart Bonds, who garnered a hefty 21.6 per cent of the primary vote in 2019 under the One Nation flag, said on Tuesday that the Nationals had been "begging me to put One Nation behind the Nats" on his how-to-vote cards.
