‘A tough ask’: coalition braces for by-election defeat

Coalition parties have acknowledged it will be a difficult task to retain Farrer’s seat ahead of the crucial by-election.

Voters will go to the polls on Saturday to replace former opposition leader Sussan Ley in the federal parliament following her resignation.

While the electorate has been held by coalition parties since the seat was created in 1949, the contest appears to be a showdown between One Nation’s David Farley and independent Michelle Milthorpe.

If One Nation wins, it will be the first time the small party has won seats in the lower house in an election; Ms Milthorpe, meanwhile, is trying to win the 2025 election after coming close to unseating Ms Ley.

Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume said it would be difficult for the party to win the seat.

“We know it’s a difficult task, a by-election is always difficult when a long-serving local member retires,” he told ABC Radio on Friday.

“We will fight for every vote, we will not take anyone for granted.”

Senator Hume warned voters to turn anger at the Labor government into a vote of protest against the major parties and rally for One Nation.

“The good people of Farrer certainly know that they are angry with the Albanian government,” he said.

“They are beginning to understand that votes for One Nation will solidify the Albanian government, while votes for teal will mean taking away the Greens’ policies.”

National leader Matt Canavan also admitted it would be an uphill battle to get Farrer back into the junior coalition party.

“There is no doubt that this is a challenge for us, a real challenge,” he told ABC Radio.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said she was confident ahead of Saturday’s poll.

“(Mr Farley) will be very useful in parliament, working with Barnaby Joyce… we will have such a voice,” he told Sky News.

“This will send a clear message to all people out there. Voting for One Nation is not a loss of votes.”

The comments came after a video emerged of Liberal senator James Paterson fighting with a One Nation volunteer outside a pre-poll center in Albury.

The Liberals are running campaign ads about Mr Farley’s political background following revelations that he had previously tried to run for Labor.

However, Senator Hanson said Mr Farley was not a member of the Labor Party.

“Regardless, everyone who voted in this election, a lot of people had never voted for One Nation before. They had been associated with another political party before One Nation,” he said.

“I’m tired of the dirty tricks that are constantly being directed at One Nation because they know they’re losing support. They know they’re losing votes and they know they can’t deal with it.”

As of Wednesday, 36,000 people had voted early in Farrer and the Australian Electoral Commission had also received 9,000 postal votes.