Facing accusations he’s undermining Senator Hanson by proposing different immigration figures to One Nation’s official plan, Mr Farley changed his language on Tuesday to declare he was attempting to ensure his regional NSW electorate of Farrer “gets its proper slice of the 130,000 capped pie”.
Pressed twice on whether he would remain loyal to Senator Hanson and contest the next election for One Nation, Mr Farley first dismissed the question and then said: “My job is to return productivity and capacity to Farrer and assist Pauline Hanson (to) build a strong and competent political party to govern Australia when Australia is ready.”
It follows former Nationals MP George Christensen conceding he’d been worried the agribusiness executive would “go his own way” after his election to federal parliament.
“That worry now looks well founded,” Mr Christensen, who advised Mr Farley for a few weeks during the Farrer by-election, writes on Substack.
“During that campaign, I had to give him a single piece of advice more than once: David, shut up about immigration. David Farley repeatedly contradicts One Nation on immigration and leaves Pauline Hanson cleaning up the mess.
“His comments on Indigenous flags, media access and mardi gras show a growing lack of political discipline.”
Mr Farley on Sunday told the ABC’s Insiders that One Nation’s migration target wouldn’t be “too different” from the government’s, insisting the party would aim for net overseas migration of 130,000 plus a “minimum” of 100,000 Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme workers and skilled workers.
One Nation’s policy is to achieve a NOM of 130,0000, though its website states it would cap visas at 130,000 each year. The website policy would see negative net overseas migration if more than 130,000 people left Australia.
Mr Christensen – who contested an unwinnable Senate seat for One Nation after defecting from the Liberal National Party in 2022 – acknowledged the minor party needed to “clear up” the wording of its immigration policy but said Mr Farley had only made the confusion worse.
“Farley didn’t clear anything up. He came up with his own category of ‘true NOM’, added another 100,000 people and left his leader to explain what he meant. This keeps happening,” Mr Christensen writes.
One Nation’s high-profile recruit Barnaby Joyce on Monday dismissed Mr Farley’s comments as a rookie mistake but Mr Christensen rejected that notion, pointing out he’d already misspoken about immigration during the by-election campaign.
“This was the same mistake, only bigger, made on national television after he’d been elected. Immigration is the issue most responsible for One Nation’s rise,” Mr Christensen says.
“The voters of Farrer didn’t choose David Farley because they wanted Labor’s immigration numbers administered by a former agribusiness executive. They backed him as Pauline Hanson’s candidate. They wanted the alternative One Nation had promised them.
“Farley owes his seat to those voters, to Pauline and to the party workers who helped get him there. He needs to remember that before the next television producer clips a microphone to his jacket. For now, the most useful thing he could learn is when to shut up.”
Responding to Mr Christensen, Mr Farley said “George will be George” and he needed to represent the interests of Farrer.
“Immigration is a big issue in Farrer, critical for agriculture, agribusiness, health and aged care. Farrer needs to ensure it gets its proper slice of the 130,000 capped pie,” Mr Farley said.
“If not, crops stay unharvested, food supply dwindles and food price inflation explodes. I know what Farrer requires from immigration, I trust the rest of Australia are measuring their migrant and labour demand numbers, as the labour market is about to tighten.”
Mr Farley’s confusing remarks on immigration has fuelled speculation he could defect from One Nation.
Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie, the party’s most outspoken MP against One Nation, on Monday labelled Mr Farley a “regional leader” and “decent fellow”.
“I think he would have been offended by James Ashby going on News24 last night with a mop and essentially mocking his – what I thought – thoughtful contribution on Insiders yesterday,” Mr Hastie said on the ABC’s 7.30 program.
“I was grateful that David Farley was more honest about the numbers, and it shows that he’s got a good brain. I don’t know what his intentions are, he’s a member of One Nation, but certainly let’s see what the future holds.”
Read related topics:One NationPauline Hanson
Rosie LewisNational Affairs Correspondent