The seat that could rewrite Australian politics: inside the Farrer by-election

The Farrer by-election on 9 May is shaping as one of the most consequential local contests in Australian political history. Once a blue-ribbon Liberal seat held by Sussan Ley for nearly 24 years, it’s now the first test of Angus Taylor’s leadership after he rolled Ley in February, a test he looks set to lose, with One Nation leading the polls and a genuine chance at winning their first Lower House seat since their inception.

The race has been further unsettled this week by revelations that One Nation’s candidate David Farley sought Labor preselection in 2022 and reportedly donated to Labor in 2023, raising fresh questions about the credibility of his campaign.

Region Riverina editor Oliver Jacques, who has been covering the contest on the ground from Albury to Griffith, spoke with The Wire’s Patrick Dunstan.