David Farley, the recently elected One Nation member for Farrer, has affirmed his commitment to the party and intends to contest the next federal election as its candidate, provided his age does not become a limiting factor. Farley, who secured the seat in a by-election in May, marking One Nation’s first victory in the electorate by unseating the Coalition, is 69 years old and acknowledges he may need to consider retirement due to his advancing years.
Speaking about his future plans, Farley noted that if he succeeds in revitalizing productivity and capacity in Farrer, attention will eventually turn towards selecting a successor. “You commit for another four years, you start doing the math, the elasticity of life gets less,” he said, citing examples of other mature-aged leaders such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former U.S. President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Farley’s statements come amid tensions within the party and questions about his allegiance. Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie recently accused both Farley and fellow One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce of harboring “buyer’s remorse” over their decisions to join One Nation after departing their previous affiliations. Farley strongly rejected this characterization, explaining that his choice was driven by observations of the major parties’ lack of commitment to Farrer. He criticized the Liberal representative Sussan Ley’s approach, the absence of a Labor candidate, and what he described as Nationals’ indecisiveness in the region, which led him to seek a party that embodies “courage and conviction.”
Farley expressed confidence in One Nation’s willingness to engage directly in political debates, contrasting it with what he perceives as reticence among other parties. He said, “They don’t walk around a debate, they step into a debate and debate it. That’s what Australian politics need.”
However, reports of potential friction have surfaced as speculation grows that Farley might break from One Nation and become an independent. This speculation intensified after Farley joked with Liberal MPs at a recent meeting for key electoral seats that he could see himself joining their ranks.
Internal disagreements have also emerged over party policy, particularly on immigration. Farley has publicly suggested that One Nation’s target for net overseas migration might not differ significantly from those of the major parties, a stance that drew criticism from former One Nation candidate George Christensen. Christensen, who advised Farley during the Farrer by-election, reportedly told him to refrain from commenting on immigration and other core party policies. Farley responded by highlighting his limited interactions with Christensen and implying that Christensen’s distance from the electorate limited his influence on the campaign.
As Farley navigates his position within One Nation and Australian politics more broadly, his statements reflect a mix of pragmatic political calculations and a focus on local electorate concerns, all against the backdrop of broader strategic challenges facing his party.