{"id":907634,"date":"2026-09-27T18:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T18:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/907634\/"},"modified":"2026-09-27T18:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T18:08:14","slug":"one-nation-boss-called-david-farley-an-asshole-in-lead-up-to-farrer-byelection-text-messages-reveal-one-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/907634\/","title":{"rendered":"One Nation boss called David Farley an \u2018asshole\u2019 in lead-up to Farrer byelection, text messages reveal | One Nation"},"content":{"rendered":"

One Nation\u2019s general manager, Kelvin Morton \u2013 brought in by the party to improve its vetting processes \u2013 referred to David Farley as an \u201casshole\u201d just days before Farley\u2019s historic Farrer byelection win<\/a> for the party in May.<\/p>\n

In a series of text messages seen by Guardian Australia, Morton responds to a news article published in the Sydney Morning Herald<\/a> about infighting among senior party figures over Farley\u2019s previously undeclared support for the Labor party.<\/p>\n

\u201cShit stirring,\u201d he writes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to do way better with our candidate selection \u2013 we need to stop finding these assholes \u2026 or letting them find us.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess this might nail David\u2019s colours to us a little more. He\u2019s sworn allegiance in the face of all the concerns being raised \u2013 he\u2019d look like a completely untrustworthy snake if he jumped ship after the election \u2013 he\u2019d be ruined forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

A One Nation<\/a> party spokesperson said that Farley was \u201ca dedicated One Nation MP\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe comments made do not reflect the view of the party.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only untrustworthy snake is the person who leaked the text messages.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tensions between Farley and other One Nation MPs and staff have reportedly been high since he was elected to parliament, with the party having to publicly criticise him<\/a> after he claimed One Nation\u2019s migration policy was not dissimilar to the Labor government\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Morton, who claims on his LinkedIn to be a \u201cstrategic business transformation leader\u201d with vast experience with some of the world\u2019s biggest companies, was appointed as general manager in February.<\/p>\n

At the time, he said the party\u2019s national executive had wanted him to build a \u201cprofessional, scalable, and legally robust organisation capable of outright victory at the next general election\u201d. He claimed to be introducing a new vetting process and was in his position when Farley was preselected.<\/p>\n

But while his appointment was heralded as a turning point for the professionalisation of the party, the Guardian can reveal that Morton has since clashed with staff at the party\u2019s Brisbane<\/a> headquarters and officials at one of the party\u2019s most active branches.<\/p>\n

He was recently appointed to the One Nation national executive, replacing former treasurer Alex Jones.<\/p>\n

Documents seen by the Guardian show he wrote to the Lilley branch in Brisbane advising it of federal intervention, which included removing the entire committee of volunteers. This came after a dispute about access to promotional materials and a local fundraiser that raised $12,000 for the party.<\/p>\n

The dispute arose after Morton and the Lilley branch coordinator, Mark McGuire, clashed over access to promotional materials for a different event, which prompted Morton to suspend him.<\/p>\n

\"HowHow close is One Nation to Australia’s richest person? \u2013 video<\/p>\n

\u201cYour membership will continue to remain suspended until a formal written apology is received by you,\u201d Morton said, accusing him of removing promotional materials from head office and clashing with a staff member.<\/p>\n

McGuire told the Guardian he had accessed policy flyers to take to an event being run by the party\u2019s Brisbane branch.<\/p>\n

Other volunteer branch members and the president, Deb Dalton, complained about McGuire\u2019s treatment, advising head office that the branch committee would cease volunteering in protest.<\/p>\n

skip past newsletter promotion<\/a>Free newsletter |Every weekday<\/p>\n

Sign up to Politics, really<\/p>\n

Our political team brings you up to speed on the stories that really matter and what they mean for you<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The letter from Morton sent in response stated that he accepted the board\u2019s \u201cresignation\u201d, despite the branch members only advising they would cease volunteering.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Federal Executive is now intervening in the management of the Lilley branch as its functioning and compliance are in question,\u201d he writes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll branch decisions and actions are now subject to direct review and management by the Federal Executive, which reserves the right to overturn any local decision which is not in the best interest of the Party.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morton also accused the branch of not handing over $12,000 raised at a branch fundraising dinner last year and demanded it be transferred to party headquarters where it would be controlled by the party\u2019s national executive.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are reminded that \u2026 branches are strictly prohibited from maintaining independent bank accounts,\u201d Morton said in a letter to the branch president.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll branch funds \u2013 including the $12,000 referred to by Mark McGuire in his phone call to me \u2013 must be managed centrally.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he would revoke the membership of all branch committee members, and that \u201congoing membership is contingent upon the full and transparent return of all party property, financial records, and the $12,000 in raised funds\u201d.<\/p>\n

McGuire told the Guardian that he believed the party\u2019s volunteers had been treated unfairly and the $12,000 had already been paid automatically to central office when people bought tickets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were treated with no procedural fairness and total disrespect,\u201d McGuire said. \u201cThey all put their own time in, they make a sacrifice for their own family.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact is that he\u2019s got it wrong, the question is, where\u2019s the 12 grand? Who\u2019s had their sticky fingers in the pie? He needs to stand up and be accountable to show the whole of the branch where the 12 grand is.\u201d<\/p>\n

A One Nation spokesperson said the party \u201cdoes not provide comment on internal disciplinary actions\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll branch donations are managed through a microsite that tags funds with the corresponding branch. Branch funds are quarantined for localised campaigns.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One Nation\u2019s general manager, Kelvin Morton \u2013 brought in by the party to improve its vetting processes \u2013…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":907635,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-907634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=907634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907634\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/907635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=907634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=907634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=907634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}