By Jack Arnold
Hi, Michelle Milthorpe Team
The Sydney Morning Herald appears to have picked up on shifting voter sentiment in Farrer with its recent article on One Nation candidate, David Farley.
There are several reasons why Mr Farley may not be the best fit to represent the people of Farrer in the 9 May 2026 federal by-election:
• His past political affiliations and activities, including previous membership of the Nationals, aspirations to represent Labor in the 2022 federal election, and a donation to support Labor’s successful campaign in the Victorian seat of Aston.
• Reports that he was considered for Nationals preselection to replace Barnaby Joyce on the Queensland Senate ticket.
• His unsuccessful 2019 bid for Nationals preselection to fill the NSW Upper House casual vacancy following the retirement of then-Minister Niall Blair.
• Comments he made in 2012 describing former Prime Minister Julia Gillard as a “non-productive old cow.”
• His earlier efforts to recruit hundreds of workers on 457 visas from India to fill positions at a Northern Territory abattoir.
• His 2022 positions in support of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, establishing an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and increasing the nation’s refugee intake.
• His departure from the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) in 2013.
• His unsuccessful 2018 attempt to secure a commission from the Nationals for recruiting new party members.
At 69 years of age, questions have also been raised about whether Mr Farley’s priorities align with delivering long-term fresh ideas for families and communities in Farrer, or whether his background as a corporate executive points more toward a later-stage career move.
Pre-poll voting begins on Tuesday 28 April 2026. With around 24% of voters in the Farrer electorate still to make up their minds, this by-election offers a real opportunity to choose a representative focused on the everyday interests and future needs of local families and regional communities, rather than recycled political insiders.
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.
What do Nationals, Liarbrals, ON do?? As little as possible for as long as they can.
See also:
Political Futures: Can the Influence of the Political Far Right be Tamed Across Regional Australia?
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A man for all seasons?
If elected to One Nation, he is a likely candidate to decamp and sit as an independent at the first opportunity.
The bloke is a political grifter.
His campaign against Ms Milthorpe, using his gullible One Nation supporters, has been full of vicious lies.
I hope this news nobbles his campaign, but many of them are so rusted on to believing Hanson’s bullshit, only time will tell.
I have already posted this information on the Hay Matters FB page, which has been pushing One Nation propaganda to the people of my old hometown, as a kid, Hay. It is in the Farrer Electorate.
Mr. Farley seems a promising candidate, who promises, dodges, spars, retires, renavigates, sees regular new visions, adopts a new approach regularly, offers lippy all around, is a self declared handyman polly, (squawk) just what a cartoonist needs, maybe. Vote one for fairyfloss.
Too old, too much baggage, no loyalty, wrong fit vote Millthorpe (although she might be a bit conservative)
Barley Farley, a hack for all seasons, a beetrooter look alike for Farrer.Let’s hope the locals aren’t that gullible.
Just another failed would-be politician….of course he ends up with No Notion..it’s the end of the line.Looks like a serious pisshead to boot…perfect fit.
Of course one is not alleging that he is a grifter, but he seems active in seeking out diverse opportunites?
Important point is his age, 69 mid boomer range, not young family range and while median age maybe highish, the above median age does not vote for working age, young families youth or the future, but themselves in retirement….or worse, vs the centre and younger generations’ future.
You would have thought that these people would have understood by now that repeating what you have always done does not necessarily lead to positive change!
It would be an irony if Farley were to win at his age and achieve the highest salary he has ever achieved during his haphazard working career: The base salary for a backbencher is currently $233,660 per year.
Barnaby has probably told him it’s money for jam – you don’t actually have to do anything, just turn up!
@ Harry Lime: I speculate that Beetrooter had a quiet word with his mate and said something like, ”It’s a breeze! You do not have to do anything except turn up & get paid a motza!! Look at New England ….. I have done nothing for the electorate during my 13 years and still got paid over $3,000,000.00!!”
So Dodgy Farley was immediately signed up as suitable ON candidate without asking any questions about absent policies, or the money-making ON mandatory purchase of election materials required of all ”candidates” instantly ”pre-selected” by Porelein.
STOP PRESS!! Porlein announces political donations of AT LEAST TWO MILLION DOLLARS ($2,000,000.00) DURING THE fARRER BYE-ELECTION currently in the pre-polling period before the 09 May 2026 polling day.
So, any assertion that ON is anything except a mouthpiece for FRWNJ BILLIONAIRES is a political fantasy. With this background how will ON improve the government infrastructure services required by communities too long ignored by successive Notional$ MPs??
“In the post, Hanson attributed a $1 million donation to Angus and Sarah Aitken, who she described as “two wonderful, patriotic Australians”. Angus Aitken has previously donated $200,000 to right-wing campaign vehicle Advance, and $24,000 to the Liberal Party.
Two further donations, handed in the form of oversize cheques in a social media video attached to the X post, came from Plimer and Giles. Plimer is the executive director of Hancock Energy, and Giles is the head of Hancock Agriculture, both firms owned by Rinehart.”
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/yes-it-s-sexy-hanson-brags-about-donations-of-private-plane-and-2m-20260429-p5zrxc.html (paywall)
I “knew” two lawyers, Sue Yerarsoff and Lee Gitimate, who maintained that their big law firm (very firm) the Grabbitt and Farkov Co. was aiming for a world of total bribery, donations, extractions, pressed fees, burnt offerings, anything collectible, so as never to work at a desk again, or in court. All could be settled in a Caponey world. How efficient, no? All politics would be just a show of grubs, found, recruited, set up, paid off. Private jets? Private anything, but not for you and me.
ON couldn’t run a chook raffle. It exists purely to line the pockets of its MPs, and most particularly, Hanson.
The massive donations to ON from Rinehart and other FRWNJs is purely a device to divide and conquer all Parties, and spread BS to the donor’s commercial advantage – not for the benefit of the broader populace.