‘Fugitive Farley’ ducks TV cameras in Farrer, as Taylor takes firm line against One Nation

One Nation’s candidate in the Farrer byelection has dodged TV cameras as he faces questions over his long-term loyalty to Pauline Hanson, and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has taken a hard line against suggestions the Coalition would work with the populist disruptors.

Nationals leader Matt Canavan has branded David Farley “fugitive Farley” after One Nation’s aspirant in the regional NSW seat raised his hand in the direction of local reporters on Monday afternoon.

The frontrunner for this weekend’s key byelection, triggered by Sussan Ley’s ousting from the Liberal leadership, made fleeting appearances at polling booths on Tuesday after this masthead reported internal fears about whether he would stick with Hanson should he be elected to parliament.

Asked before a candidate’s forum on Monday night if he would stick with One Nation, with whom he has diverged on migration policy, Farley said: “That’s the ultimate question every journalist has been asking me.

“I’m sticking with One Nation, it’s as simple as that.”

Canavan said: “Farley might not look like Harrison Ford, but he is doing a pretty good impression of The Fugitive. Farley the fugitive can run, but he can’t hide from the questions about his commitment to conservative causes.”

The Nationals leader has been campaigning in Farrer before Saturday’s byelection, which will put a spotlight on the fragmentation of the right.

Coalition MPs, speaking anonymously to discuss voters’ concerns, said their parties were suffering from a perception among conservative voters that voting for One Nation would lead to removing the Labor government. Hanson and One Nation convert Barnaby Joyce have raised the prospect of a right-wing coalition, which has fuelled the notion.

But One Nation is drawing nearly all its support from the Coalition, so Taylor has moved to warn people in Farrer that a vote for One Nation will only diminish the Coalition’s chances of changing the government.

“If the vote sprays, Labor stays,” the opposition leader told this masthead in his office on Monday. “If you want to get rid of a bad Labor government, you’ve got to vote for the Coalition.”

Taylor has not been as firm as some of his Coalition colleagues, including Canavan, in attacking Hanson, who is leading the Coalition in all national polls. The Coalition parties are expecting to finish in third and fourth in Farrer, behind One Nation and independent Michelle Milthorpe.

Coalition figures said they have been surprised by how many voters in Farrer have talked to them about the two splits between the Liberal and National parties after the election last year. “They just think we’re a joke,” one MP said.

Taylor said it was his job to rebuild the trust of voters. “You breach trust in an instant. You rebuild it over time,” he said.

Hanson and Joyce have this week suggested they might run in the lower house at the next election rather than the Senate.

Farley, a 69-year-old with a successful career in agribusiness, appeared on a live broadcast on Sky News Australia from Albury on Tuesday evening, where he was grilled by the audience, rival candidates and host Paul Murray.

“I’ve got three clear jobs to do,” he said in response to a question from Murray.

“One is win on the 9th, which I want to do. Two, I want to build a foundation to change and bring productivity and capacity back to Farrer. Three, I’m going to contest the 2028 election, and at the same time, we’re going to help Pauline Hanson and the team build a hell of a political party to be of prominence and relevance in the Australian democracy.”

Farley, who has contradicted One Nation’s immigration policy during the campaign, also clashed with senior party figures for not revealing to them he had previously attempted to run for Labor and last year endorsed Milthorpe, now his Climate 200-funded rival.

Farley was asked repeatedly by Liberal candidates Raissa Butkowski and Nationals candidate Brad Robertson why he had not been honest about his attempts to run for Labor.

Farley said it was up to the media to answer why they had reported it before he had the chance to tell One Nation and that his political journey had come out of “frustration”.

“I tried to engage politically in Farrer, especially across the critical issues of water in particular, and had no success at all. I investigated all options,” he said.

“I investigated the option of running as an independent like Michelle’s doing. I had Michelle twice in my office … I went right through it all with the Nationals … Then I went to the Labor Party and tried to understand to get in the door there,” Farley said.

“But there is no interest from the Labor Party in there. So the reality is, culturally, I didn’t fit for them.”

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