One Nation MP not afraid of side-stepping party line

One Nation's newest MP David Farley hasn't ruled out voting against party policy. Photo: Mike Bowers
The first One Nation MP to be elected to the House of Representatives has taken his seat in the lower house, but has left the door open to voting against his party.
David Farley was sworn into parliament on Tuesday after winning the Farrer byelection in May, upending more than 70 years of the Coalition holding the southern NSW electorate.
Farley was led into the chamber by One Nation recruit Barnaby Joyce, who he later joined on the crossbench, before taking the oath.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and other senators from the party watched from the floor of the lower house and then embraced Farley after he was sworn in.
A date is yet to be set for Farleyâs first speech to parliament.
He said he planned to attend all parliamentary sittings unless heâs called away with âgreat urgencyâ, after questions about Hansonâs lack of attendance at many parliamentary sitting days.
Asked whether he was prepared to vote according with his electorateâs view and personal beliefs, even if that meant disagreeing with Hansonâs position, Farley didnât rule it out.
âItâll be rare that we find ourselves in disagreement, but then again, Iâve got one job to do â itâs to represent Farrer and represent it the best I can,â he told ABC Radio.

Farleyâs One Nation colleagues from the Senate, including Pauline Hanson, embraced him. Photo: Mike Bowers
Pressed on Hansonâs attendance record, which shows she missed 88 per cent of Senate estimates hearings since returning to parliament in 2016, Farley said his goal was to be present for all parliamentary sittings.
âIâve got a two-year window to be able to report back to the constituency of Farrer and say âhere was the platform that we went in onâ ⌠and at the end of that two-year period ⌠show them the scorecard,â he said.
Liberal frontbencher James Paterson said it was important to shine a spotlight on Hansonâs attendance at parliament.
âIf, 88 per cent of the time, Senator Hanson canât even be bothered showing up to do her job, to advocate for her constituents, I think that reflects badly on her commitment to her job,â he told ABC Radio.
Hanson has previously said she did not want to attend hearings regularly because government officials often did not answer her questions.
It comes as One Nation leapfrogged Labor to become the political party with the highest primary vote, according to the latest Redbridge poll.
Farley said the poll was encouraging, but warned against reading too much into the figures.
âIt is a poll, itâs not a ballot ⌠polls have got elasticity to them,â he said.
-AAP







