Australia’s political landscape shifted dramatically on Saturday when the right-wing One Nation party secured its maiden victory in a federal lower house by-election, highlighting widespread voter frustration with the major parties amid rising living costs and regional grievances.
In the sprawling New South Wales electorate of Farrer, agribusiness figure David Farley claimed 57% of the two-candidate preferred vote, decisively defeating independent Michelle Milthorpe. Covering 127,000 square kilometres, an area exceeding Greece, Farrer encompasses vital farming hubs such as Albury, Griffith, and Deniliquin, territories traditionally dominated by the Liberal-National coalition.
The contest followed Sussan Ley’s resignation after her ousting as Liberal leader by Angus Taylor in February. Although it poses no threat to Labor’s commanding majority, the result mirrors One Nation’s runner-up performance in March’s South Australian state poll, fuelling its populist momentum.
Party leader Pauline Hanson celebrated with supporters, insisting the triumph extended beyond Farrer to the nation at large, and said the party was “coming after those other seats.”
Farley, who campaigned vigorously against perceived betrayals by the establishment on agriculture and energy affordability, rallied the crowd by declaring One Nation had “reached the end of its beginning, we’re going through the ceiling.”
He added, “What are we doing tonight? We’re like a mason, with a chisel, and a hammer and we’re re-carving the letters into the Australian democracy.”
Under Australia’s preferential system, voters rank candidates, with preferences ultimately deciding a majority winner between the top two. Farley benefited from a surge of support from disillusioned Nationals backers, having admitted he had “lost a bit of faith” in the majors because “they say one thing to your face and then go and do something else in parliament.”
This marks a revival for One Nation, echoing Pauline Hanson’s brief 1990s tenure as an independent MP before her Senate comeback. The party thrives on scepticism towards net-zero policies, immigration, and urban-centric governance, issues that sting in rural seats like Farrer plagued by power prices and water shortages.
The vote also scrutinised new Liberal and Nationals leaders Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan, as their coalition grapples with last year’s election rout and persistent internal strife. Analysts liken the rise to global trends, warning it could reshape the 2028 federal contest in resource-rich states.