Canberra, May 9, 2026 – The Europe Today: Australia’s right-wing populist One Nation has secured its first-ever seat in the federal lower house, marking a significant political breakthrough for the party and signaling growing voter dissatisfaction with the country’s traditional political forces.
According to media reports, David Farley won an unassailable 60 percent of the primary vote in the by-election for the electorate of Farrer, a vast regional constituency in New South Wales. Independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe trailed significantly behind in the contest.
The by-election was triggered following the resignation of Sussan Ley, who stepped down after being removed as leader of the opposition Liberal Party of Australia.
Although the outcome does not threaten the ruling Labor government’s parliamentary majority, analysts view the result as an indication of shifting political sentiment and declining support for Australia’s traditional major parties.
Saturday’s vote was also regarded as a key test of One Nation support following the party’s strong performance in the March state election in South Australia, where it recorded the second-highest number of votes among all political parties.
Reacting to the result, party leader Pauline Hanson described the victory as “a win for Australia” and pledged that the party would continue targeting additional parliamentary seats.
Meanwhile, victorious candidate David Farley, who has a background in agribusiness, told supporters that the party had “reached the end of its beginning” and was “going through the ceiling.”
Australia’s preferential voting system requires voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with final results determined after the distribution of preferences to ensure majority support for the winning candidate.
The electorate of Farrer covers approximately 127,000 square kilometres and includes the regional centres of Albury, Griffith, and Deniliquin. Historically, the seat has been held by either the Liberal or National parties.
The by-election also served as an early political test for new opposition leaders Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan, following recent leadership changes within the conservative coalition after its worst-ever defeat in last year’s federal election.
