The Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, will run in a lower house Queensland seat at the next federal election, in a move that may see him face off with Pauline Hanson’s national director.

The announcement follows the retirement of the Capricornia MP Michelle Landry, and could result in a contest against James Ashby in a major battle for regional seats.

“The issue is we need to keep this seat to change the government, and I want us to continue to deliver for central Queensland,” Canavan told the Courier-Mail on Monday.

“I don’t think you’ll be surprised by this announcement but I’m not going to die wondering. I may very well die politically, but I’m not going to die wondering. I’ll give it my all.”

Hanson ruled herself out for the seat, but left the door open to Ashby running as a contender.

“It’s still over a year out from the election, a year and a half, so I’m not making any decisions or giving any indication where I’m standing or where James Ashby, if James Ashby is going to stand,” she told reporters.

Canavan was previously tipped to make a bid for the House of Representatives amid warnings from pollsters the Nationals leader has a “zero per cent” chance of holding on to his Senate spot if One Nation maintained its surge in opinion polls.

Earlier last month, Canavan said he was prepared to do “whatever it takes” to hold Capricornia for his party.

Landry, based in Rockhampton, announced her decision last month to retire from politics and not to recontest her seat at the next election.

The Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said One Nation should not be fighting to win Coalition-held seats if the party was serious about taking on Labor.

“If One Nation is really serious about firing the liar, then they need to start running in Labor party seats instead of running against someone like Matt Canavan,” she told Nine’s Today show.

“[I’m] not afraid of a fight – I want to save our country, and that means changing the prime minister, and that means taking Labor party seats.”