Australia’s Nigel Farage makes historic win – ‘take the country back’ | World | News
Australia previously hosted Nigel Farage and his words may have influenced the country today (Image: Getty)
Australia’s political establishment has been rocked by a byelection result that locals have called a “bloodbath” by the woman many see as the country’s equivalent of Nigel Farage.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, a right-wing populist who has spent three decades on the fringes of Australian politics, declared she would “take the country back” by ending mass immigration after her party entered the lower house for the first time in its history.
The winning candidate, farmer David Farley, received 39 per cent of the vote in Farrer, a rural New South Wales constituency that has not split from the Liberal-National fold since 1949. The result promises a political earthquake in a country long dominated by Orthodox parties.
A second One Nation figure sits in the lower house, but he took the floor from the National Party last year rather than being elected under the One Nation banner.
Hanson explained that the result sent a clear message to his rivals. “This shows that the coalition cannot defeat One Nation. They will have to join them. I think there will be no coalition government without One Nation in the future.”
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How does Pauline Hanson compare to Nigel Farage?
According to the Telegraph , Australian commentators suggest One Nation is approaching a similar breakthrough moment, drawing direct comparisons with the rise of Reformation England in Britain. Hanson and Farage share much more than political style; Both have built movements around grievances about immigration and living costs that establishment parties have failed to address.
Hanson’s personal approval ratings have risen above Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s.
His admiration for Trump has not diminished even as his trade policies have strained relations with Canberra. He attended CPAC at Mar-a-Lago last year, promising to transplant his political program to Australian soil.
Known to some as “Dancin’ Pauline”, she celebrated her victory by dancing on stage as fans wearing blue Make Australia Great Again hats cheered her on.
“We are going after other seats,” he said, with an eye on the 2028 federal elections. “You will no longer be forgotten people. We are proud Australians. We want our country back and that is what One Nation is about.”
Hanson has held the Queensland Senate seat with three other One Nation members since 2016 (Image: Getty)
Who is Pauline Hanson?
Hanson, now 71, has held the Queensland Senate seat since 2016 and sits with three other One Nation members in the upper house. He has courted controversy throughout his political career.
His first parliamentary speech three decades ago caused immediate outrage when he warned that Australia was in danger of being “submerged” by Muslims and Asians. He became a persistent critic of public recognition of the rights of Aboriginal Australians and campaigned against what he described as political correctness.
Her decision to enter parliament wearing a burqa last year – a deliberate provocation in support of the campaign to ban the dress – led to a seven-day suspension, and a motion of no confidence was passed by 55 votes to five, with opponents branding her racist and Islamophobic. This was not his first such action; He performed the same stunt in 2017, attracting global media attention on both occasions.
