This crucial byelection looks nothing like the battle in Canberra. That’s a good thing

April 24, 2026 — 5:00am

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This week, while war in the Middle East roiled the global economy and the federal government announced sweeping cuts to the NDIS, a debate was held in the NSW town of Griffith. The Monday debate was a chance for locals to meet the full spectrum of candidates in the Farrer byelection, which will be held on May 9, from the Greens to One Nation and everyone in between.

Hosted by the Griffith Business Chamber and led by local masthead Region Riverina’s Oliver Jacques, the debate mostly flew under the radar, other than in reporting by that publication and Crikey. But it’s worth taking a moment to digest it.

While there was some overlap between the issues being debated in Canberra and the issues that mattered to Farrer voters – immigration, tax reform and political donations were all discussed – it was a loose, contradictory and timely reminder that all politics is local.

Time and again during the debate, Liberal, National and One Nation candidates bucked their respective party lines on issues that mattered to locals. And that’s a good thing.

One Nation candidate David Farley, the front-runner to win the seat according to a handful of published polls, was asked twice if he fully supported One Nation’s policy of slashing immigration by 75 per cent. His answer went nowhere near endorsing the policy. Rather, he reflected the needs of the small towns and cities that make up the seat.

“An electorate like Farrer is the exemplar,” Farley said. “We have showed the nation that we can immigrate and assimilate people into our culture. One........

© Brisbane Times