We are closing the live blog for today, Sunday 10 May, after a day focused on the fallout from the remarkable and tectonic results in the Farrer byelection. The outcome has sent shockwaves through Australian politics, with One Nation securing a lower house seat for the first time in its history.
Historic Result in Farrer
The ABC's chief election analyst, Casey Briggs, noted that this is likely the first time in modern political history that the two-candidate final count in any federal electorate has been contested between two candidates not representing a major political party—Labor, the Liberals, or the Nationals. The Guardian's Tom McIlroy highlighted that Farrer has sent either a Liberal or a National to Canberra at every election for nearly 70 years, making this a seismic shift.
Reactions from Key Figures
Outgoing Farrer MP and former opposition leader Sussan Ley stated, "The voters never get it wrong," following a historically low combined Liberal and National vote in the electorate. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson accused major parties of having "disregarded and disrespected voters" and dismissed her critics as "bitter." Liberal deputy Jane Hume admitted that voters have lost trust in the Coalition, while shadow treasurer Tim Wilson, a former strident critic of One Nation, was forced to confront the possibility of directing preferences or governing alongside the rising right-wing populist party, urging the Liberals to be "bigger, better, bolder."
Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who has flagged an additional $2 billion for infrastructure in the budget, described the Farrer result as a "bloodbath" for the Coalition, leaving Labor as the only party occupying the "sensible centre" of Australian politics.
Key Takeaways
- One Nation wins a lower house seat for the first time.
- The combined Liberal and National vote in Farrer reaches a historic low.
- Major parties face criticism for disregarding voters, with trust in the Coalition eroding.
- Labor positions itself as the centrist alternative amid Coalition turmoil.
Thank you for following our coverage today. We hope we helped you make sense of this landmark political event.
