An agricultural businessman has been selected as the One Nation candidate to contest the NSW seat of Farrer in the May by-election.
David Farley, 69, defeated two other candidates in the preselection contest that took place today at the Albury Entertainment Centre.
Flanked by One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson and Nationals defector, and now One Nation MP, Barnaby Joyce, Mr Farley said the outcome was a great step forward for the area.
“It’s going to give our electorate in particular, which is so important to the nation of Australia, a chance to focus on what’s good for Farrer is ultimately good for Australia,” he said.
Mr Farley (front left) says power and water will be key to his election campaign. (ABC: Philippe Perez)
The Narrandera resident and father of three daughters and grandfather of seven grandchildren said water and power will be some of the key issues on his agenda.
“If we can really focus on those and then start addressing the service industries that our constituents here need, those service industries are hospital in particular, aged care, childcare and education.
“So that’s where the focus is.”
The one-time chief executive of the Australian Agricultural Company said that water in particular was a finite resource critical to drought mitigation and the country’s food supply chain, and as such had to be defined as a “sovereign asset”.
“I think the first thing is we have to change the narrative [of water] out of an environmental asset to a sovereign asset, and then the other thing is we must address reality.
“We are a growing population, we’re living a geo-political zone now that is challenged, therefore we want to make sure that the responsibility of the government is to underwrite the security of its people and food is a number one priority in there.”Â
The by-election on Farrer will take place on Saturday, May 9. (ABC: Philippe Perez)
Ms Hanson said it was the first time a branch had selected its own candidate.
Adding that people were finally waking up to what One Nation could do for them. Â
“I’ve been a fighter, and so have my other representatives, for rural and regional Australia that feel they’ve been forgotten.Â
“Climate change is destroying rural and regional areas. If we don’t look after these areas we’re going to lose the farming sector, which we are, and we’re also losing youth from these areas that are moving to the cities.
“So there’s lots of issues in rural and regional areas.”
Traditional Coalition seat
The seat in southern NSW has always been held by the Coalition, only becoming vacant after Sussan Ley’s ousting as Liberal Party leader and subsequent resignation as the local member.
She had held the seat since 2001.
Ms Hanson says Labor not fielding a candidate was about the PM not wanting to “be shown up to be on the downward slope”. (ABC: Philippe Perez)
With One Nation witnessing a rise in the polls, the ABC’s election analyst emeritus Antony Green has described the upcoming vote as “messy” for the Coalition.
A sentiment echoed by the new Federal Opposition leader Angus Taylor.
“The Farrer by-election is going to be a tough fight,” he told today’s NSW Liberal Party state council meeting.
“But I promise you this; with your help, we’re going to put up a hell of a fight in Farrer, all the way through to the close of polling on the 9th of May.”
What does One Nation stand for?
Labor is not expected to field a candidate in the by-election in what Ms Hanson said was a sign the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did “not want to be shown up to be on the downward slope”.Â
“He knows damn well that he is going to get a lower vote than last time,” she said.
“Albanese doesn’t want to put that out to the public, so it makes no difference to him holding a majority of seats in the lower house.”
The Liberal Party is yet to nominate a candidate, with the Nationals set conduct their preselection tomorrow.