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'A Tough Ask': Coalition Braces for by-Election Defeat

Matt Canavan says the Coalition faces a tough fight as more than 45,000 people have already voted in the contest.

  • On Saturday, voters in the federal seat of Farrer will head to the polls to replace former opposition leader Sussan Ley. The by-election is a showdown between One Nation candidate David Farley and independent Michelle Milthorpe.
  • Nationals leader Matt Canavan admits retaining the seat is an "uphill battle" for his party after 25 years of Coalition control. Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume also called it a "tough ask" following Ley's resignation.
  • One Nation leader Pauline Hanson expressed confidence in Farley's candidacy, while Labor's decision not to field a candidate prompted long-time supporter Nico Mathews to back One Nation instead.
  • More than 45,000 people in Farrer have already cast their votes ahead of Saturday's poll, according to the Australian Electoral Commission. This reflects intense engagement in the seat held by Coalition parties since 1949.
  • Should One Nation win, it would mark the party's first lower house seat at an election, potentially reshaping federal politics. Milthorpe seeks to capture the seat after coming close to unseating Ley in the 2025 poll.
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'A tough ask': coalition braces for by-election defeat

The coalition's grip on the seat of Farrer could be over after more than 70 years, with One Nation and an independent in the box seat for a crucial by-election.

·City of Perth, Australia
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sydneysun.com broke the news on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
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