By STEFAN BRADLEY
IN THE wake of One Nation’s win in the Farrer by-election on May 9, a former federal candidate for the party says the result shows dissatisfaction for the major parties.
Greg Hansford, from Newborough, ran for One Nation in the federal election in May last year for the seat of Gippsland. He achieved the strongest result for the conservative party in Victoria, with over 14 per cent primary vote.
The Yallourn North booth had the best result for One Nation in Gippsland, with Mr Hansford nearly cracking 30 per cent of the primary vote. This is a place notable for the Yallourn W coal station, which is set to close in 2028.
One Nation was “very happy with the result”, Mr Hansford told the Express, noting the 1.6 per cent swing against Nationals incumbent Darren Chester, who represents one of the safest seats in the country.
Mr Hansford hopes One Nation can build on this success in the future, saying “more and more people are becoming disenchanted with what the Coalition have to up and offer, and in particular the Labor Party”.
Mr Chester, who is deputy leader of the Nationals, told the Express the Coalition will need to take some time in their respective party rooms to reflect on the overall result.
“There was an overwhelming mood for change in the Farrer by-election as a result of the anger and frustration voters were feeling with the way they have been left behind by the Labor Party,” Mr Chester said.
Both Gippsland and Farrer are very large rural Victorian seats that have historically been safe for the Coalition.
But Mr Chester said the divisions are very different and it was risky to draw too many conclusions from a by-election.
Since the federal election, One Nation has surged in the polls nationally, leading to electoral results at the South Australian election and for the first time ever, winning a seat in the House of Representatives.
The Farrer by-election this month saw One Nation candidate David Farley defeat independent Michelle Milthorpe in the rural electorate. Despite the seat being held by the Liberals for 25 years under Sussan Ley, neither the Liberals or the Nationals reached first or second in the final results.
The Liberals experienced a swing of over 31 per cent against them.
“David Farley ran a very effective campaign up there in Farrer, stuck to the main issues that were affecting that area, and obviously that resonated with the electorate,” Mr Hansford said.
Mr Hansford also ran in 2022 for One Nation in Gippsland, achieving the best results for the party in Victoria that year.
With the state election in November, Mr Hansford has put in an expression of interest to run for One Nation in the seat of Morwell, with the state party’s president expected to announce the successful candidate soon.
“People (in Gippsland) are very, very concerned about high unemployment,” Mr Hansford said.
“They’re frustrated because the timber industry is closed, and now we’re importing it.
“People are very concerned about how, despite all this emphasis on renewable energy, their electricity bills still keep going up and up, and they’re concerned that with the loss of Yallourn W in 2028, there’ll be two other power stations joining them within two years … on the Eastern seaboard.
“People are worried that there’s going to be blackouts, and if you’re a business, you can’t run a full time business on part-time power, so they’re very concerned about that. They’re very concerned with the cost of living as well.
“I’d just ask people to think very carefully, whether in the last three years Gippsland has gone forward or backwards, and by voting the same way that they have in the past, how is that going to change?”
