The leader who overcame One Nation’s first electoral shock warns against dismissing its voters
Former Labor premier Peter Beattie warns against dismissing One Nation voters, saying the anti-major party sentiment is as strong today as it was 30 years ago. One Nation candidate David Farley is in a strong position to win the Farrer by-election in regional NSW.
One Nation is within reach of a significant political victory in the Farrer by-election in regional NSW. The party's candidate, David Farley, is leading in public polling, aided by the decision by the Liberals and Nationals to direct preferences to him ahead of community independent Michelle Milthorpe. Former Labor premier Peter Beattie, who narrowly won the Queensland state election in 1998 when One Nation secured 11 seats, says there are clear parallels between the mood then and now. Beattie warns against dismissing One Nation voters, who feel disrespected, financially challenged, and isolated from the major parties. Beattie says Labor responded to One Nation's rise in 1998 by engaging directly with its voters and taking cabinet meetings into their communities. One Nation's history of self-destruction following electoral success is a concern, with Beattie saying the party has 'poor discipline and lacks quality candidates'.
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