The peak body for pubs and hotels will funnel tens of thousands of dollars to Coalition and Labor candidates facing strong challenges from independents in a bid to minimise the uncertainty of a hostile crossbench.

The so-called “Red-Blue” election strategy to be run by the Australian Hotels Association has its roots in a meeting of the group’s state and federal leadership at a Melbourne airport hotel last year, according to three sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity so they could discuss the matter freely.