To say he shopped around is an understatement.
He was a member of the NSW Nationals from 2015 to 2020. Rejected after putting his hand up to fill a Legislative Council vacancy in 2019, he applied to join the Labor Party in 2020 but was rejected again. In 2025, he backed an independent, then stood against her in a byelection a year later as a One Nation candidate and won.
His name is David Farley, the first One Nation candidate to win a seat in the House of Representatives. Now, the new Member for Farrer might be shopping around again.
Last Wednesday he accidentally walked into a meeting of Liberal Party backbenchers and on the way out quipped, "I could see myself sitting here."
Farley insisted it was a joke but given his past flirtations across the political spectrum, it naturally reignited speculation of yet another defection from One Nation. His deviation from the Pauline/party line on immigration, telling Insiders host David Speers his party's target wasn't that different from Labor's, only intensified suspicion he was eyeing off the exit.
It wasn't the first time Farley's views on immigration haven't squared with One Nation's. When he was CEO of the Australian Agriculture Company in 2012 he pushed vigorously for 457 visas for hundreds of Indian workers to address a skills shortage at a Darwin abattoir.
At the same time, he accused Barnaby Joyce of using xenophobic rhetoric to oppose Chinese investment in Australian agricultural land. Farley and Joyce now sit side by side in the House of Representatives but one can't wondering if there's an underlying tension between the two.
Joyce might have dismissed his colleague's deviation from the party line on immigration as a rookie error but it's handed Labor and the Liberals a crate of ammunition. They're now dismissing One Nation as all over the shop on immigration and not fit to govern.
Not that the major parties have their immigration ducks properly lined up either. Labor had to abandon plans by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to launch his toughened policy. And the Liberals' Andrew Bragg recently went rogue, infuriating the Nationals by threatening to clamp down on backpacker and working holiday visas.
Farley's own goal drew the heat off the major parties and their immigration headaches. It also reprised questions about his future political trajectory which have dogged him since he announced his One Nation candidacy.
Earlier this year Pauline Hanson complained her party was being infiltrated by extremists. Perhaps the bigger threat is that it has been infiltrated by more rational and moderate people. People like David Farley, who see the value in immigration and can picture themselves sitting alongside members of the major parties.
Just how long Farley can last in One Nation is anyone's guess. Betting agencies haven't opened a book on whether he'll quit the party. But we've seen this movie before. Jacqui Lambie famously split with the Palmer United Party in 2014 and went on to become an outspoken independent senator championing causes close to her heart like the welfare of veterans.
All eyes are on Farley to see if history repeats.
HAVE YOUR SAY: How long do you think David Farley will stick with One Nation? What does it say about a politician when they shop around for a party to get them elected? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- An overhaul of the government's migration policy has been further delayed, as fresh polling confirms the issue is behind a surge of support for One Nation.
- Greens senator Barbara Pocock will not re-contest the next election, citing personal reasons.
- Embattled home builder Bathla Group has been placed into voluntary administration, leaving customers in limbo in what it says is a "perfect storm" of circumstances.
THEY SAID IT: ""I think [Farley] would have been offended by [One Nation's head of operations] James Ashby going on News24 last night with a mop and essentially mocking what I thought were his thoughtful contributions on Insiders yesterday." - Andrew Hastie on Monday.
YOU SAID IT: It's not only attitudes to women that need to addressed. Footy players' toxic relationship with cocaine cannot be ignored either.
"I'm wondering if your story has invited a flood of emails like this one, of us oldies confessing to delinquent drug behaviour of 40 or more years ago," writes Ian (no, you're the only one). "It's the nature of youth to be inquisitive and adventurous. When I was 20 or so, a friend snorted something in front of me. When I asked to try it, he just grinned moronically, indifferent to my demands that he give me some, whatever it was. I assumed it was cocaine, but when he finally acquiesced, the resultant soporific dreamlike state made me realise later, that it was possibly heroin. I tried a few things in my youth, including cocaine, but luckily nothing stuck. I just preferred my normal, chilled out reality."
Rowan writes: "I'm 84 and when I was 14 saw a film called The Man With a Golden Arm starring Frank Sinatra, who portrayed a man getting hooked on drugs and his downward progression. It scared the living daylights out of me and as a result I've never even tried drugs. Should be compulsory viewing for all teenagers."
"Many mammals and humans in particular enjoy altering their state of consciousness using drugs," writes Phil. "From the mild stimulants of coffee to the absolute killers of fentanyl. From the well drawn lithographs of Hogarth's Gin Alley to the paean of Golden Brown drugs have been described in art and literature. That athletes are among the users should not be a shock. Sensible government actions would be to regulate and tax the use but prohibition has always worked so well at excluding criminal activity that is the choice made."
Jennifer writes: "We need to change the image of cocaine to reflect reality. It is used by weak people who need drugs to feel strong, giving them a false sense of their own capability so they do reckless things that hurt others and themselves. Peak stupidity!"
"If we made illicit drugs legal and available at pharmacies we could wipe out the drug cartels," writes Arthur. "Many addicts become suppliers because they have to fund their addiction. In order to get enough customers they encourage others to start taking drugs who become addicts. Escalation starts and the cycle is perpetuated. Police seizures only interrupt a small fraction of drugs coming into Australia. The current measures are an obvious failure."
David Pope's view ...
