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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Tom McIlroy

The scale of the Coalition’s loss in the Farrer byelection can’t be overstated

One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, and winning candidate, David Farley, embrace as their party wins the Farrer by-election.
One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, and winning candidate, David Farley, embrace as their party wins the Farrer by-election. Photograph: Jesse Thompson/Getty Images

Sometimes in Australian politics, there’s a tendency to over interpret byelection results - projecting local wins and losses far and wide across the country.

But Saturday’s thumping victory for One Nation in the NSW seat of Farrer can hardly be over interpreted. It proves Pauline Hanson’s populist movement is an indiscriminate threat, and that the foundations of the two party system are growing weaker by the day.

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