[00:08] The sun is setting over Aubry as a key
[00:11] moment in the Farah bi-election campaign
[00:13] begins.
[00:21] Backstage, the candidates are getting
[00:23] ready for a high pressure debate.
[00:36] Welcome everybody to Charles University.
[00:38] Everybody here in the theater
[00:40] >> 12 are in the race but two are receiving
[00:42] the most attention.
[00:45] We need to be looking after ourselves
[00:48] first here in this country.
[00:50] >> Independent Michelle Milorp came second
[00:52] in Farah at the federal election last
[00:54] year. One Nation candidate David Farley
[00:58] is considered her toughest competition.
[01:01] >> I understand the engine room of Farah
[01:03] and I understand it well.
[01:05] >> Labor isn't running in this rural
[01:06] electorate where issues affecting
[01:08] farmers have been front and center.
[01:10] >> The reality is Australia can't afford
[01:12] net zero.
[01:13] >> I think it's untenable for us to think
[01:17] that we can get there by 20 2050.
[01:20] The Liberals and Nationals have boosted
[01:21] the chances of a One Nation win,
[01:24] directing preferences to David Farley
[01:26] over the community independent. A move
[01:28] that could backfire if it helps the
[01:30] minor party increase momentum or if it
[01:33] proves unpopular among traditional
[01:35] coalition supporters. I want to talk
[01:38] about preferences now and we'll start uh
[01:40] with with you Roser and as to why the um
[01:43] uh the Liberal Party chose to preference
[01:45] One Nation ahead of Michelle Milford for
[01:48] example
[01:49] >> in terms of preferencing it it it really
[01:52] was um
[01:55] it it just it was just for ease of
[01:57] reference in terms of our how to vote
[01:58] card and that's just the reality.
[02:07] Farah is the second largest electorate
[02:08] in New South Wales. It was held by
[02:11] former Liberal leader Susan Lee for 25
[02:13] years before she quit parliament in
[02:16] February.
[02:17] Now the coalition is at risk of losing
[02:19] the seat for the first time in its
[02:21] history.
[02:23] Pauline Hansen's most high-profile
[02:25] recruit has been lending his personal
[02:27] popularity to David Farley's campaign.
[02:30] >> So good to see you.
[02:34] >> Nationally, support for One Nation has
[02:36] climbed since the former Nationals
[02:38] leader Barnaby Joyce joined its ranks.
[02:41] >> How much do you think you have to do
[02:42] with that?
[02:43] >> Yeah, I did my bit. You know, you can do
[02:45] faux, you know, faux humility. Oh, it's
[02:47] nothing. No, it was it was a bit about
[02:50] reason by me because I think people he
[02:53] gave them license and people said well
[02:54] if he can change I can change and now
[02:57] sudden
[02:59] >> the one nation candidate has also had
[03:01] changes of heart. He previously sought
[03:04] pre-elelection for labor prompting
[03:06] critics to question his long-term
[03:08] loyalty.
[03:09] >> This specimen is David Farley a
[03:12] political chameleon who changes colors
[03:14] to suit himself. Can you guarantee that
[03:16] if you get into parliament with One
[03:18] Nation that you will stick with One
[03:19] Nation in Parliament?
[03:20] >> Yeah, I'm I'm I'm more than comfortable.
[03:22] One Nation uh will will change the
[03:24] democracy on the 9th.
[03:27] >> If David did get in with One Nation and
[03:29] defected to the crossbench, would you be
[03:31] bothered by that?
[03:33] >> Of course. Yeah. I mean, of course I'd
[03:35] be bothered by that. But I, you know, I
[03:37] I can I look at him and say this
[03:40] person's not going to do it.
[03:42] >> How about you? Last year, David Farley
[03:44] publicly praised his now rival, Michelle
[03:47] Milthorp. The independent candidate has
[03:49] been labeled a teal by political
[03:51] opponents due to donations she's
[03:54] received from climate 200. If you look
[03:56] at my policies and positions, you can
[03:58] see that they don't align with those of
[04:00] the te independents.
[04:03] Aubry has a proud place in Liberal
[04:05] history. This is where the party's
[04:07] governing body was formed in 1944.
[04:11] Raza Picusky has the tough task of
[04:14] trying to hold on to Farah for the
[04:15] Liberals.
[04:17] >> It's an unusual race because the two
[04:19] considered front runners are obviously
[04:21] not from the major parties. Why do you
[04:23] think that's happened here?
[04:28] >> I in terms of the two front runners, um
[04:32] I'm I'm not looking at polls. I think
[04:35] they generally are not reflective of
[04:37] reality um quite often. But the reality
[04:40] is the party is desperately trying to
[04:43] rebuild and win back Australian voters
[04:45] who've been abandoning it in droves.
[04:48] You've come in at a tough time for the
[04:49] coalition.
[04:50] >> Does that make your job harder?
[04:52] >> No. Um I enjoy a challenge.
[04:58] >> At a Saturday farmers market near Aubry,
[05:00] the produce is fresh and locals
[05:02] friendly. Hello.
[05:05] >> Are you a local celeb?
[05:06] >> He sure is.
[05:09] Ross Files is a flower farmer. He can't
[05:11] vote in the bi-election because he lives
[05:13] on the Victorian side of the border, but
[05:16] he'll be watching the result closely.
[05:18] I think the political climate's
[05:21] changing. I voted Liberal for the past
[05:23] 50 years, and this is the first time
[05:26] I've ever considered voting for another
[05:30] party, and the One Nation is the party
[05:32] that I would vote for.
[05:36] From Aubry to the multicultural farming
[05:38] community of Griffith, many voters told
[05:41] 7:30 they wanted change.
[05:44] >> Last time I voted for Liberal and this
[05:45] time I've been voted for independent.
[05:48] >> Major groups have had things for too
[05:50] long. Time to put someone through the
[05:52] hen house and clean them out.
[05:53] >> Some people are promoting the
[05:55] multiculturalism. So that's why I just
[05:57] uh vote for that person.
[06:01] Father Peter is an Anglican priest and
[06:03] community figure who was torn over who
[06:05] to vote for.
[06:07] >> Inside this historic mansion, he's
[06:09] hosted many political guests from both
[06:11] sides of politics. This week, he's
[06:14] invited Pauline Hansen to tea.
[06:16] >> So, Pauline Hansen might be sitting
[06:18] around this table in the days ahead.
[06:19] >> Well, I'm hoping so. I'll probably
[06:21] There's always room in the, you know, a
[06:23] bit more in the pot. The longtime
[06:24] Liberal supporter is questioning his
[06:26] loyalty to the party after it dumped
[06:29] Susan Lee as leader.
[06:31] >> Will this be the first election that you
[06:33] voted in where you're not sure if you'll
[06:35] vote Liberal?
[06:35] >> Well, I've certainly been
[06:38] less sure uh now than I've ever been
[06:40] before.
[06:41] >> And do you think that the the chaos that
[06:43] we saw in the coalition um after the
[06:45] last election is the reason people in
[06:48] this electorate have been turning to One
[06:50] Nation? Well, they say that One Nation
[06:53] is the is the party of protest, and I
[06:56] think people have a lot of reasonable
[06:59] things to protest about. If you've got a
[07:02] car that continually breaks down, uh,
[07:04] then you do need to think about either
[07:07] getting a new engine or getting out of
[07:10] walking. And I think a lot of people are
[07:11] getting out of walking.