Australia's Far-Right Populist Party Wins First House Seat
Al Jazeera Staff
Pauline Hanson's One Nation party has secured its first-ever seat in Australia's House of Representatives following a historic by-election victory in New South Wales. Candidate David Farley is expected to win decisively with 59.1% of the vote, replacing a Liberal Party member who resigned. The result mirrors a global trend of growing support for far-right populist parties.
One Nation, Australia's far-right populist party, has won a seat in the country's House of Representatives for the first time in its history, according to preliminary results.
David Farley, a former agricultural consultant, is on track for a decisive victory in the by-election for the Farrer electorate in southwestern New South Wales. ABC reported on Saturday that Farley is expected to win 59.1% of the vote, compared to 40.8% for independent challenger Michelle Milthorpe. The center-left Labor Party, which currently holds a majority in the House, did not field a candidate in the race.
“It's very clear that the next member for Farrer is David Farley,” ABC election analyst Casey Briggs said on air. “This is not a close result.”
Farley, who has advocated for reduced immigration and agricultural reform, will replace the seat vacated by Sussan Ley, the leader of the center-right Liberal Party, who resigned in February.
The result marks the first time One Nation, founded by politician Pauline Hanson, has secured a House seat in its 30-year existence. Speaking after the win, Farley said the party “has ended its start-up phase” and is “rising strongly.”
On policy priorities, Farley said he would pursue immigration policies based on Australia's labor market needs, particularly in agriculture. “We will not break any industry that relies on quality immigrants who integrate well,” he stated. “But we will not tolerate people who come here to live off our budget, off our pockets, without contributing anything.”
He also pledged to work on reducing the cost of living. “We will have policies that suit Australia, not the world,” he stressed.
Milthorpe congratulated Farley and noted the next two years would be a test for One Nation, as the party faces the challenge of turning voter anger into concrete results. “They will succeed in reflecting the anger we feel here. But that's the easy part,” she said. “The hard part is actually doing something about it.”
Farley's victory does not significantly alter the balance of power in the House of Representatives, where Labor holds 94 of 150 seats. However, the result aligns with a global trend of rising support for far-right populist parties. Earlier, the UK Reform party also achieved major wins in this week's local council elections.
