Nationals’ leader Matt Canavan has ended months of speculation by announcing his tilt for the lower house seat of Capricornia in central Queensland.

The senator’s bid for the lower house following Nationals MP Michelle Landry’s retirement will place him in a showdown with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation which has expressed interest in securing the seat.

But intrigue surrounds One Nation’s candidate with Ms Hanson and her chief fixer James Ashby ruling themselves out.

Senator Canavan declared at a press conference in Rockhampton on Monday he was prepared to “put it on the line” in next Federal election, due in 2028.

“My political career may die, but I’m not going to die wondering,” the Queensland Senator said.

“With Michelle announcing her retirement, someone’s got to step up and effectively, I’m the next person up here in Central Queensland, so I’ll put it on the line.

“I think our country needs a change, needs a change of government, needs a change of direction, needs a change in Canberra.

“I want to see Angus Taylor elected as the next Prime Minister of Australia.

“We, as a team, will cut taxes, we will scrap net zero, and we will cut migration by the biggest amount in Australian history, all to make living standards better for the Australian people.

“That’s what I’m passionate about doing.”

After remaining tight-lipped for more than a week, Senator Canavan formally announced his ambitions to run for Capricornia in the Courier Mail on Monday, vowing “I’ll give it my all”.

Ms Landry formally announced her retirement in late October but denied Senator Canavan or anyone in Coalition had pressured her to call stumps on her political career.

Senator Canavan holds the second spot on the Coalition’s state Senate ticket, behind Liberal James McGrath, and faced losing his seat if One Nation did well in the Upper House at the 2028 election.

The Queensland senator, who lives in Yeppoon, rose to the top job in March after former leader David Littleproud stepped down and has acknowledged the challenging political environment the Nationals face.

One Nation is surging drastically in the polls and could conceivably outpoll the LNP, relegating them to one Senate seat in the Sunshine State.

Senator Hanson’s party announced it would open a branch in Yeppoon late last year to “help shape the future of One Nation in the region”, its website reads.

Senator Hanson told reporters in Victoria on Monday morning that she wouldn’t be running in the seat herself but didn’t rule out Mr Ashby

“No, I’m not running Capricornia, so I’ll give you a direct answer with that one,” the minor party leader said.

When asked directly about Mr Ashby, Senator Hanson said she hadn’t made a call on who would be pre-selected for the Queensland seat.

“Well, we’re still over a year out from the election. So I’m not making any decisions or giving any indication (from) where I’m standing or where James Ashby… if, if James Ashby is going to stand,” Senator Hanson told reporters.

However, in a statement issued to AFR later on Monday morning, Mr Ashby ruled himself out of the seat.

Speaking to The Nightly, Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie said potential fight with One Nation was a chance to give Australians a genuine choice but said the Nationals must perform at its best.

“We’re in a competitive political environment. That’s a good thing for Australians to have choice,” she told The Nightly.

“It’s beholden on the National Party to be the very, very best we can be.

“And I think if you look at the facts, the National Party has not lost a seat since 2007 election. That’s the facts.

“Our political brand, the way we represent, is hyper local, hyper connected into our communities, and our voters respect that relationship.

“And I think that type of brand of politics is exactly what broader Australia is desperate for.”

She said Senator Canavan has embodied that hyper local message.

“He’s lived in the region. He’s raised raising his five children in in that area. He’s been a great support to Michelle Landry, who is just such a champion,” she said.