Pauline Hanson braces for historic win
Updated ,first published
One Nation candidate David Farley faced calls at an election eve candidates forum to apologize to a popular Albury doctor who angered his election rivals in the seat of Farrer.
Farley, who spearheaded a historic breakthrough for Pauline Hanson’s party in one of the coalition’s traditional rural strongholds, cast his vote in front of national media at Albury Public School earlier on Saturday. But as expected there was no sign of Hanson or high-profile MP Barnaby Joyce.
On Friday night Farley met with Dr Albury GP and a leading campaigner for improving healthcare in the area. He said of Lachlan McKeeman that “I think he can understand why he lost his job” during the live-action interaction with the audience. The Karl Stefanovic Show.
McKeeman has not worked at Albury Wodonga Health since late last year after receiving legal advice that his “position was untenable” due to public criticism of the organization and the hospital’s redevelopment.
McKeeman used the Friday night forum to challenge the One Nation candidate, who supports continuing the redevelopment of the existing hospital until a new site is identified.
“The brownfield continues,” Farley said before intervening from behind McKeeman Beer Deluxe’s open space.
“It’s not like that. They just started construction in the northeast. Don’t lie,” McKeeman said.
Farley responded: “I guess you can understand why he lost his job.” These words provoked loud booing from the audience.
The remarks were the latest in a series of gaffes during Farley’s election campaign that exposed tensions within the One Nation Party. It turned out that Farley appeared during the campaign. Tried to run for Labor Party in 2022He endorsed his rival candidate 12 months ago and publicly opposed Hanson’s immigration policy.
The issue of the border hospital has been at the center of the campaign, with both Coalition candidates and community independent Michelle Milthorpe calling for a new hospital to be built on a new site rather than the planned redevelopment of the existing Albury campus.
As he headed to vote Saturday, Farley told reporters he was hopeful he would win voters’ support. When asked where Hanson was, he replied: “I’ll see Pauline later.”
National leader Matt Canavan told reporters outside Albury Public School that Farley and Hanson should apologize for “disrespectful remarks” made about the GP.
“David Farley should apologize to Lachie McKeeman. He is a great doctor,” Canavan said. “If this is the approach One Nation is taking to regional Australia, they will not be able to defend regional Australia because our doctors and nurses are working too hard with limited resources from masters in their capitals.”
Milthorpe, widely expected to be Farley’s chief rival, condemned the comment as “ignorant” and “insensitive.”
“This matter is not a joke to Dr McKeeman and it is not a joke to the families whose lives are deeply affected by the ongoing issues with Albury Wodonga Health,” he said.
Hanson said he was “on eggshells” ahead of the vote on Friday night and warned he would have no tolerance for new MPs who fail to work hard.
While the Queensland senator insisted he was not taking the contest for granted, the Australian Electoral Commission confirmed that nearly 50,000 voters, or 40 per cent of those registered with Farrer, had already voted.
“I’ve been through so many picks where I’ve thought, ‘Right, we look really good here,'” Hanson said.
“I’m on eggshells until the last vote is cast and the counting starts tomorrow night… because it depends on the people out there, on what the voters want.”
Hanson also had to smooth over disagreements with Farley after several missteps over the past two weeks. When asked about his comments, Hanson emphasized that the party’s official immigration target remains much lower.
“I’m not going to shut him down. He had his say, but he made it clear what he meant,” he said, referring to immigration levels.
He also defended his tight grip on party discipline, saying he had previously dismissed MPs who failed to perform, amid long-running criticism about instability in the minor party’s ranks.
“It’s been a battle with the different ones and I have to admit there’s a couple in there that I’ve gotten rid of,” Hanson said, referring to past acrimonious splits with former senators Brian Burston and Fraser Anning.
“One was a senator from NSW. One was a member from Queensland. They did nothing. They sat there and did absolutely nothing.”
“If you don’t work for the people who elected you, you’re not in my party. I don’t reward bad behavior.”
Key issues shaping the campaign include cost of living pressures, water management, access to healthcare and regional services, infrastructure investment and support for agriculture and local industry.
Milthorpe, who narrowed Ley’s lead in last year’s federal election, has been forced to repeatedly refute claims of his independence because of donations from Simon Holmes à Court’s Climate 200.
Hanson framed Saturday’s contest as part of a broader political fight against the major parties, saying: “Can I do this? Yes I can. I want our country back.”
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Rob Harris is a national correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Canberra. He is a former European correspondent.Connect via email.
