One Nation party wins first-ever Australian lower house seat

Australia’s One Nation Party Wins Seat in House of Representatives

Preliminary election results indicate that David Farley, a former agribusiness consultant and candidate for the far-right One Nation party, is on track to win a seat in Australia’s southwestern division of Farrer. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that Farley has secured 59.1 percent of the vote, surpassing his independent opponent Michelle Milthorpe by 18.3 percentage points.

Farley will fill the vacant seat left by Sussan Ley, leader of the centre-right Liberal Party, who resigned in February. This marks the first time One Nation, founded by Pauline Hanson, has won a lower house seat in its 30-year history.

According to election analyst Casey Briggs, Farley’s projected victory is clear and not close. The centre-left Labor Party did not run a candidate for the seat. In an interview after his projected win, Farley stated that One Nation will pursue policies based on Australia’s labour market needs, particularly in agriculture. He also mentioned working to bring down the cost of living.

Michelle Milthorpe, Farley’s independent opponent, congratulated him on his election win and acknowledged the challenge ahead for One Nation. She noted that translating popular anger into concrete results would be a test for the party over the next two years.

The outcome does not significantly alter the balance in the lower house of parliament, where the Labor Party holds 94 of 150 seats. However, it is consistent with growing electoral support for far-right populist parties globally.

Source: Al Jazeera