Trending Now - Far-right One Nation Party Secures First Lower House Victory

WHO:

DW.com - Michelle Milthorpe was trailing in second place with around 40% of the vote.

DW.com - Liberal candidate Raissa Butkowski received around 11% of the vote.

DW.com - The far-right populist One Nation party won its first seat in Australia's House of Representatives.

DW.com - David Farley, a former agribusiness executive, was the candidate for One Nation in the by-election.

DW.com - Sussan Ley, the former Liberal leader, resigned, leaving the seat vacant.

DW.com - Michelle Milthorpe, an independent candidate, was Farley's main rival.

DW.com - Angus Taylor is the leader of the Liberal Party.

DW.com - Pauline Hanson founded One Nation nearly 30 years ago.

WHAT:

DW.com - The One Nation win does not affect the parliamentary majority of Labor, which still holds 94 of 150 seats in the lower house.

DW.com - Pauline Hanson stated that the result was "a win for Farrer but a bigger win for the nation."

DW.com - One Nation won a key by-election in a rural seat that had been held by traditional conservatives for over 50 years.

DW.com - Preliminary results showed David Farley winning 59.1% of the vote.

DW.com - The incumbent center-right Liberal Party candidate received around 11% of the vote.

DW.com - Farley described the election win as the "biggest achievement" of his career.

DW.com - The ruling Labor Party did not contest the seat.

WHERE:

DW.com - The by-election took place in Farrer, a large agricultural electorate located approximately 550 kilometers (340 miles) south of Sydney.

DW.com - The seat was previously held by the Liberal Party.

WHY:

DW.com - The by-election was held because Sussan Ley resigned in February as her party slumped in the polls behind One Nation.

DW.com - The by-election was held because Sussan Ley resigned as her party was struggling in the polls behind One Nation.

DW.com - Farley pledged to bring down the cost of living as part of his campaign.

HOW:

DW.com - Angus Taylor, the Liberal leader, mentioned that the outcome of the by-election brought some "hard lessons" for his party.

DW.com - Farley characterized One Nation's approach as "like a mason with a chisel and a hammer, and we're carving the letters into the Australian democracy."

(UPDATED May 10, 2026 04:14 UTC)

In a recent by-election, One Nation candidate Michelle Milthorpe secured a significant victory, trailing with around 40% of the vote, while Liberal candidate Raissa Butkowski garnered approximately 11%. Despite this outcome, Labor maintains its parliamentary majority with 94 of 150 seats in the lower house, and Pauline Hanson described the result as "a win for Farrer but a bigger win for the nation." Angus Taylor, the Liberal leader, acknowledged that the by-election results delivered some "hard lessons" for his party, following the resignation of Sussan Ley earlier this year amid declining poll numbers.

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(UPDATED May 9, 2026 17:15 UTC)

In a significant political shift, the far-right populist One Nation party has secured its first seat in Australia's House of Representatives, winning a key by-election in Farrer, a rural electorate that had been held by traditional conservatives for over 50 years. David Farley, a former agribusiness executive and the party's candidate, achieved an impressive 59.1% of the vote, while his main rival, independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe, fell short. Farley, who described this victory as the "biggest achievement" of his career, pledged to address the cost of living as part of his campaign, signaling a new direction for the electorate.