One Nation seizes historic Farrer by-election win in Australia
The right-wing One Nation party broke the Liberal Party's long-standing grip on Australia's Farrer seat, winning a Lower House federal seat for the first time. Liberal leader Sussan Ley said the party had to "change or die".
Farrer, a New South Wales seat that had been a Liberal Party stronghold for decades, has fallen to One Nation candidate David Farley in a federal by-election. The result gives the party its first-ever seat in Australia's Lower House.
The Liberal vote share dropped by a double-digit margin from the last election. Speaking to party members after the result was projected, new Liberal leader Sussan Ley said her party had to "change or die". Ley also flagged a forthcoming review of party rules in November as a critical moment.
One Nation's breakthrough carries Pauline Hanson's long-standing Senate influence into the House for the first time. Analysts say the result will rattle the calculations of the federal coalition heading into the next general election. The Albanese government has acknowledged that the by-election outcome will shape coming debates on migration and energy policy.
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