One Nation wins Farrer in blow to major parties

One Nation has won its first federal Lower House seat at the ballot box in a historic result breaking the Coalition’s 77-year hold on the NSW seat of Farrer.

The populist party’s David Farley defeated fellow frontrunner Michelle Milthorpe and Coalition candidates Raissa Butkowski and Brad Robertson to clinch the seat, commanding a double-digit lead within two hours of polls closing.

“It will be a win for Farrer, but a win for our nation if we can win this,” Senator Hanson told Sky News shortly before the by-election was called for One Nation.

“We are going to work hard now for this electorate and our nation.”

She said voters “realised that we are the last hope of changing things in this country”

“People have fear for the future generations, no hope of owning their own home, you know? And the cost of living is just destroying families,” she said.

Shortly after, Mr Farley claimed victory, breaking the coalition’s 77-year hold on the NSW electorate.

“We’re like a mason with a chisel and a hammer, and we’re carving letters into the Australian democracy,” Mr Farley told supporters at a watch party in Albury.

Flanked by Senator Hanson and soon-to-be lower house colleague Barnaby Joyce, Mr Farley said the party “has reached the end of its beginning”.

“We’re going through the ceiling,” he said, calling the win his “biggest achievement” and the “most euphoric experience” he has had.

‘Western Sydney, here we come’

Mr Joyce warned Anthony Albanese his party was setting its eyes on Western Sydney.

Labor has dominated Sydney’s multicultural, working class western suburbs for decades.

Asked post-election call what his message for the Prime Minister was, Mr Joyce said: “Western Sydney, here we come. Believe you me.”

He said he had come across One Nation supporters backgrounds while campaigning in Farrer.

“We’re coming to Western Sydney,” Mr Joyce said.

“I look forward to meeting you there, Chris Bowen. I’ll be on the stage. Come talk to me.”

New One Nation MP

Mr Farley will join Mr Joyce in the lower house, following the former deputy prime minister’s switch from the Nationals to One Nation late last year.

Mr Farley is a high-profile agribusiness leader and who served as chief executive of the Australian Agricultural Company, as well as and managing director of Australian cotton giant Colly Cotton.

A heavyweight in the irrigation and commodities sectors, he has worked across the world, including in the US.

With just 12 per cent of ballots officially tallied, Mr Farley surged to 41 per cent of the primary vote to his independent rival’s 28 per cent.

The Liberal and Nationals candidates were sitting just north of 9 per cent.

Sussan Ley responds

Sussan Ley has congratulated David Farley on his election victory, while issuing a stark warning to the Liberal Party about what One Nation’s success means for the major party.

“Serving the people of Farrer for 25 years, having been endorsed by locals at nine elections, was the privilege of my professional life. I know David will feel the same sense of honour and responsibility,” Ms Ley said.

“I urge the Liberal leadership to accept this result with humility because the voters never get it wrong. On the day the leadership spilled in February, the new leader said the Liberal Party needed to ‘change or die’.

“Three months later, the result in Farrer demonstrates that statement to be far truer today than it ever was then.”