One Nation's David Farley Wins Farrer By-Election

One Nation candidate David Farley won the by-election held in the Farrer electorate on Saturday night, becoming the party's first ever elected federal MP. As counting continued on Saturday night, One Nation's primary vote in the Farrer by-election was hovering in the low-40s. Independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe was on track to secure about a quarter of first preferences.

Pauline Hanson stood alongside David Farley on stage at the Bended Elbow in Albury to celebrate the victory. "It's a win for the rest of Australia," Hanson declared. The result delivered a sharp rebuke to the Liberal Party in an electorate that has known nothing but Coalition representation for its entire history and has been a Liberal stronghold for the last 25 years.

Sussan Ley is the now retired member for Farrer after losing the Liberal leadership to Angus Taylor in February. Just down the road at the Commercial Club, which served as the Liberal Party's headquarters for the by-election, the mood was one of resigned acceptance. Angus Taylor has spent the better part of his first three months as Liberal leader playing down the party's chances in Farrer.

"For too long we have been a party of convenience, not conviction and that must change," Taylor said following the result. " She quoted that on the day the leadership spilled in February, the new leader said the Liberal Party needed to 'change or die'.

Nationals leader Matt Canavan observed that One Nation's run at Farrer was a "bit of a free kick" shortly after the polls closed on Saturday night.

One Nation's primary vote is currently in the mid-20s nationally according to public polls, giving the Coalition less than two years to chip away at it before the 2028 election. David Farley made a comment about migration during the by-election campaign that departed from Pauline Hanson's hardline stance.