The PHONey Campaign in Farrer: Bosses Posing as Battlers
The good news for voters in the Farrer by-election is that PHONey’s pre-selected candidate, David Farley, has already publicly contradicted Pauline Hanson on immigration policy. In an electorate heavily reliant on migrant labour for agriculture and with ongoing water challenges for local family farms, this difference may actually be understandable.
However, the broader PHONey campaign in Farrer looks increasingly like a political scam: wealthy “bosses” presenting themselves as champions of the battlers, railing against problems their own class has helped create, while offering little evidence or practical solutions.
Consider the finances. A backbench federal MP earns a base salary package of around $240,000 per year, plus significant perks including travel allowances, electorate funding, and accommodation support. Reports that Pauline Hanson has accumulated an estimated $20 million in personal wealth during her political career fundamentally change her image – from fish-and-chip shop owner to a member of the “moneyed class”. Not a bad return for leading a party often criticised for lacking coherent policies beyond stunts and blame-shifting.
Barnaby Joyce, the National$-turned-PHONey recruit, has drawn criticism over his use of the public purse in his long parliamentary career – much of it while prioritising personal and sectional interests over those of New England voters. His recent loss of automatic Nationals preselection may have accelerated his political realignment.
Then there is David Farley himself. At 69 years old, the cotton industry executive and former AACo manager has “flirted” with multiple parties over the years. A former colleague’s description of him as “Dave is for Dave” suggests this latest move may be more about securing a comfortable retirement than genuine ideological commitment.
If PHONey succeeds on 9 May, Farrer could send three self-described “champions of the battlers” to Canberra – all with substantial personal financial interests and backgrounds that place them firmly among the “bosses” they claim to oppose.
The Community Independent Alternative
In contrast, independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe represents a genuine local alternative. A teacher and mother with deep roots in the electorate, she significantly cut the sitting member’s majority in 2025 (from 10.9% to 6.2%). She and her supporters are focused on practical regional issues: better health services, affordable housing for essential workers, attracting teachers and nurses, and genuine economic investment in regional centres.
Unlike PHONey, which has never developed meaningful long-term policies for regional Australia, Milthorpe and other community independents west of the Great Dividing Range are actively working to address decades of neglect.
Regional voters deserve better than recycled anger and empty stunts. They deserve representatives who put local families and communities first – not personal financial security or national media profiles.
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Jack Arnold is a retired academic polymath who commenced his professional career as a research scientist and ended as a lawyer, with too many decades of education between. To stay busy he has taken an active interest in all levels of local New England politics for the past 50 years, assisting in the election of three progressive candidates, the latter two being very busy Independent representatives for their communities.
Since the retirement of these politicians in 2013, New England has stagnated economically and socially with pre-selected Nationals being elected to Parliaments in the strange local belief that voting for 19th century ideals would yield the new government infrastructure projects that our kids will need to live in the electorates in this 21st century.
Regional Independents get things done for their communities.
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The One Nation menagerie of subsimians has a huge record of elected candidate pissoffery. ” In it for the money, honey ” is the go, thus tracking the retobroomjockey semiliterate acquirer of public and private funding. (” we can accommodate planes too “) So, Farley, a fat 69 y.o. party shunter wants retirement support? And who could cop the brainlessness, lack of achievement and vacuousness of the Canavan Taylor policy entrails and offcuts? GO the independent…High office holder Ley did so little…and we know that a vote for an empty schooner glass is better than an empty Joyce choice.
The problem of Murray-Darling water management is largely due to what happens in the catchments north of Farrer although Milthorpe is more likely to reflect water management common sense and justice than the other candidates.
Malfunction Knob Head has had the political longevity with One Neuron because he basically stands and nods to whatever Hanson farts, and releases bizarre farts of his own! David Fartley might differ with One Neuron over immigration and climate change, and I suspect, that if elected, his career with One Neuron will be limited. Just like Dave is for Dave, Barnacle Hoist is for Barnacle Hoist.
Wouldn’t write off Millthorpe when voters in Farrer (mostly south of the Barassi line?) watch the sh*t show going on around the Libs, Nats, ON and RW MSM peer across the border at Indi?
There were and are still many (former) Lib & Nats voters in Farrer who were appalled at the behaviour of both Joyce and Abbott exhibiting ‘family values’…..
@ Andrew Smith: The New England electorate was unconcerned by Beetrooter’s ”family values” of adultery, alcoholism, bullying, corruption, deceit, fornication, sexual harassment and misogyny. Those were widely practiced by the locals.
Rather, it was the alcoholic love tryst with a Canberra planter box that was captured by a mere passer-by and published on the Internet that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Such outrageous behaviour should only occur behind closed doors and drawn blinds in the privacy of a bedroom and DEFINITELY NOT in a public street.
One Nation’s voting history tells us the story of who they really care about, they’ve VOTED AGAINST:
❌ Same Job Same Pay,
❌ Making industrial manslaughter a criminal offence,
❌ More rights for workplace Delegates,
❌ Expanding the functions of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency to include silica,
❌ Stopping the permanent casual rort,
❌ A stronger definition of casual work,
❌ Better rights for gig economy workers,
❌ Making it easier for casual workers to become permanent,
❌ Decreasing the gender pay gap,
❌ Increasing access to subsidised childcare,
❌ Making TAFE education fee-free,
❌ Increasing housing affordability,
❌ Increasing workplace protections,
❌ Increasing trade union’s powers in the workplace.
Every policy One Nation has voted against directly affects ordinary Australians – which One Nation claims to represent. But they’re showing us they only really care about their billionaire friends and donors.
Thanks to Dan Repacholi for this data.