Politics With Michelle Grattan: Why Farrer Is A Key Test For One Nation Vs The Coalition

(MENAFN- The Conversation)

The Farrer by-election on May 9 will be a major test for new Liberal leader Angus Taylor and new Nationals leader Matt Canavan, as well as a real-time measure of One Nation's surging poll numbers.

One Nation's David Farley and independent Michelle Milthorpe are considered the early frontrunners in the fight for Farrer.

The contest, in the seat vacated by former Liberal leader Sussan Ley, comes one year after the re-election of the Albanese government.

With no chance of winning this conservative regional seat in southern New South Wales, Labor is not fielding a candidate.

This week's podcast comes from Albury, the largest centre in the sprawling electorate, for an early look at the campaign. To get a sense of the issues shaping the race so far, we spoke to:

Anthony Bunn, a senior journalist with the local Border Mail newspaper

Matt Canavan, who was campaigning in Albury just two days after becoming the Nationals' leader, supporting local candidate Brad Robertson

One Nation's candidate David Farley, an agribusinessman and former Nationals member

high-profile independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe, a high school teacher, who is running a second time after winning 20% of the primary vote in 2025

and Justin Clancy, the Liberal state member for Albury and deputy opposition leader in NSW, shortly before the Liberals selected their candidate.

The Liberals' candidate has now been announced as lawyer from the Hume Riverina Community Legal Service, Raissa Butkowski, an Albury City councillor. Opposition leader Angus Taylor was in Farrer on Monday to launch her campaign.

The big issues in Farrer

Journalist Anthony Bunn described the vast area covered by Farrer and the key local issues so far.

Bunn said petrol prices and supplies could also feed into a cost-of-living campaign.

Canavan on 'tackling a mate' in Barnaby Joyce

Asked about Farrer voters who might be tempted to defect from a Coalition vote to One Nation, new Nationals leader Matt Canavan said:

On the competition in the seat with One Nation, Canavan opened up about about going up against his former boss and colleague Barnaby Joyce – who he'd just spoken to that morning – despite Joyce“being on a different football team now”.

Agreeing to disagree with Pauline Hanson: Farley

One Nation's David Farley was once a Nationals member, but felt his policy ideas were“totally ignored”. He said a lot of other locals feel“completely disenfranchised with the democracy at the moment and also with the Coalition”, which has always held Farrer.

Farley said he debated with his party's leader Pauline Hanson when they met recently about various issues – including his support for immigration.

'I'm not a teal': Milthorpe

The high-profile independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe was once a Liberal voter, but said she became disillusioned over the years.

On opponents' attacks calling her a“teal”, because she received funding via Climate 200, Milthorpe called the claim“lazy rhetoric”.

No more Liberal navel-gazing: Clancy

Asked if voters would be annoyed to be facing a by-election now, and whether Sussan Ley's departure will be a factor working against the Liberals, state MP Justin Clancy said:

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