Two teal MPs have ruled out joining a potential political party formed by an alliance of independent MPs.

Independent MP Zali Steggall, who holds former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott’s old seat of Warringah in Sydney, confirmed the group was discussing how they could be more effective in parliament as Australia entered a time of “political flux”.

“I’m always open … I’ve made my third term, and after seven years in parliament, I can see how there are many things we could do politics better and differently,” she told ABC Radio on Monday.

“There’s huge frustration and unhappiness with the major parties.”

It comes in response to recent analysis published by RedBridge Group and Accent showing One Nation could become the opposition if a federal election were to be held.

Steggall said the rise of One Nation was “really concerning” for many voters.

She also said looming rule changes to political funding and donations that disadvantage independents might contribute to the teal MPs forming a party.

“That did also force me to look at the setup and disadvantage of being a community independent versus a major party,” Steggall told Radio National.

“Spending caps, donation caps. There are many things that favour major party structures, and again, the public was incredibly cynical about that move, that it’s yet again major parties trying to rig the game for their benefit.”

However, Kooyong MP Monique Ryan, who won her seat from Liberal Josh Frydenberg in 2022, confirmed she wouldn’t join a potential party of teals.

“Representing the people of Kooyong in Canberra has been one of the biggest honours of my life,” she wrote in a statement published on social media.

“I will continue to do that in the capacity in which I was elected: as a community independent, voted for and answerable to the people of Kooyong.”

Curtin MP Kate Chaney also said she would remain a community independent.

“I am interested in working more collaboratively with other crossbenchers on policy, many of our communities have similar values, but right now I do not think that requires me to be a member of a political party,” she said.

Several of the independents were swept into power at the 2022 federal election, winning metropolitan seats across the country that were traditionally held by the Liberals.

Other independents who aren’t teals in parliament have also hosed down suggestions of joining a party if it was set up.

Victorian MP Helen Haines said she wanted to remain as an independent for her community.

“Let a thousand blossoms bloom. If people want to talk about forming more formal allegiances through a party, go your hardest,” she said in Canberra.

“It’s not something for me but it may be something for other people.”

Other crossbenchers, including Bob Katter, former National Andrew Gee and Centre Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie, also said they would stay as independents.

Elsewhere, former Liberal PM Malcolm Turnbull has denied rumours he is involved in the talks to create a teal political party.

“There is a vacuum for an alternative centre party,” he told ABC Radio.

“The teals would be obvious people to be part of that … but whether they actually decide to do so is up to them. So I’m not involved with any plans to set something up.”

Turnbull said the Liberals had tried to emulate One Nation to try to claw back voters, but had only emboldened the minor party.

“This constant move to the populist right is only building up One Nation. They are literally feeding that political party, because every time they copy their policies, they’re validating their approach,” he said.

“The Liberal Party’s got to steer back to the centre and focus on economic management. It’s got to focus on things like innovation, on productivity, on growing the economy, and stay out of the culture wars.”

But he warned that approach may not be possible under the Liberals’ new federal president Tony Abbott, who was elected unopposed on the weekend.

“He’s clearly a masochist … he’s got a strong commitment to politics, so good on him,” Turnbull said.

“If you look at what Tony has been saying and what [former chief of staff] Peta Credlin has been saying … they’re basically arguing that the Liberal Party’s mistake has been not being right wing enough.”

Wentworth MP Allegra Spender, who holds Turnbull’s old seat, said there had been conversations over time about how politics “could evolve”.

“They (voters) are really concerned that, frankly, the major parties are not addressing the issues that matter most to people,” she said.

“A lot of people are saying, you know, we need to do something different.

“I’ve certainly had lots of conversations, nothing more than that to announce at the moment.”

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the teals had already acted like a party for years and downplayed speculation moderate Liberals might join them.

The RedBridge analysis cautioned against the “reflexive interpretation” that growing support for One Nation was showing Australian society was lurching towards the far right.

Many people were instead experiencing deteriorating living standards and public services, while trust in institutions such as government, media and businesses had collapsed, it said.

-AAP