Queensland's One Nation leader Steve Dickson says he does not take directions from anyone after defecting Senator Fraser Anning claimed he was forced from the party he had been loyal to for 20 years.
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Senator Anning - the replacement for Malcolm Roberts, found to hold a dual citizenship when elected last year - left the party the same day he was sworn into the Senate.
Declaring himself an independent, he told Fairfax Media he was forced out by One Nation party leader Pauline Hanson, who he said had been "manipulated" by her adviser James Ashby.
On Tuesday, Mr Dickson told 612 ABC that could not be further from the truth.
"Senator Hanson is a lady of her own spirit ... she leads her own way, nobody tells Senator Hanson what to do and I think if you spoke to her you would know that yourself," he said.
"I don't get directed by anybody, nor does Senator Hanson.
"The past 20 years of One Nation has had trials and tribulations as we are all aware and we are moving forward, onward and upward and that is why we are in the position we are in today."
Senator Anning told 612 ABC he was "better off" where he was after he had been treated like a "schoolboy" by Senator Hanson.
"I don't think we are going to be able to work together, particularly while she is taking advice from James [Ashby]," he said.
"She also has a few others that may not be in her best interests."
When asked whether he would join another political party, after Liberal Democratic Party Senator David Leyonhjelm and Australian Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi escorted him to be sworn in on Monday, he said no decisions had been made yet.
"Both are very nice people and both, I think, are good people for the country and for their constituents," he said.
"I have also had good talks with Matt Canavan, who is also a good, strong supporter of north Queensland and the regional areas of Queensland.
"I can guarantee that whoever I end up with, if it is not as an independent, will be a group who is happy to fight for the Queensland people."
LNP leader Tim Nicholls said people should take whatever Mr Dickson said in the light of his "proven untrustworthiness".
"He is untrustworthy in relation to his loyalty, he's untrustworthy in relation to the people of Buderim, he's untrustworthy to his former colleagues."
Mr Nicholls was asked why the LNP would preference One Nation ahead of Labor in almost 50 seats, given the "untrustworthiness".
"As I've said, when it comes to preferences, there are no good choices, and in the majority of instances the LNP preferences won't be distributed, we all know that's the case," he said.
