One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has revealed she was compelled to intervene with newly elected Farrer MP David Farley after he publicly contradicted party policies on immigration and the display of Indigenous flags.
Immigration Stance Under Scrutiny
Shortly before winning the Farrer byelection in May—the first federal lower house seat One Nation has secured outright—Farley suggested that the current Labor immigration intake of 306,000 people per year was “probably not” excessive. This position directly conflicts with One Nation’s official policy, which advocates capping migration at 130,000 annually.
Speaking at the Church and State summit in Brisbane on Saturday, Hanson addressed questions about the party’s candidate vetting process. She emphasised her desire for like-minded individuals within One Nation, noting that candidates sometimes say what they think voters want to hear.
“People will tell you what you want to hear,” Hanson said. “They really do. Case in point, David Farley, right? He comes out during the election. What’s my policy? Stop immigration at 130,000 a year. So he’d come and said ‘Oh no, allow immigrants in the country’. Well, didn’t the media have a field day with that?”
Flag Policy Dispute
Following his election, the Border Mail reported that Farley intended to display three flags in his office: the Australian, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander flags. However, Hanson reiterated that One Nation’s policy is to fly only the Australian flag.
“You can’t know everything about the person,” Hanson told the audience. “But as I said to him … our policy [is] one flag, it’s the Australian flag, that’s it. So I had to have a conversation with him.”
Farley later posted on Facebook that his office would fly the Australian flag, and that no flag would stand above it or replace it. When asked by Guardian Australia whether this meant he would not fly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, Farley responded that there were “plenty of flags for ceremonial events” and that Australians “unite under one flag”.
“My grandfather fought the first world war under the flag and we buried him under the Australian flag. My father did the same … and when Dad died we buried him under the Australian flag,” he said. “We are one Australia, we have one flag, we unite under one flag.”
Internal Party Unity Concerns
Hanson also addressed broader issues of party cohesion, stating that One Nation “cannot deal” with internal fights and arguments. The party has a long history of departures and defections, and Hanson warned that further losses could be devastating.
“If I have anyone elected to our party any more and walks off and leaves the party, it will destroy us,” she said.
On the issue of abortion, One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has indicated he will push for a total ban. Hanson, when asked about gestational limits, said that abortions after 20 weeks were “too late”. The party has been asked for further clarification on its abortion policy.
Membership and Inclusivity
At the summit, host Dave Pellowe asked Hanson whether she would welcome “large numbers of conservative Christians” as members. She responded, “of course they’d be welcome”, adding, “We’re a Christian-based country, for crying out loud. If I had a bunch of radical Islamic Muslims, I’d have a problem with that … you wouldn’t get in.”
However, Hanson noted that a Muslim woman, Emma Eros, had stood as a One Nation candidate in the 2019 NSW election. Eros said at the time she joined the party because it was “inclusive and equal”. In February, Hanson questioned whether there were “good Muslims”, remarks she later qualified. Eros described the comments as “appalling”, telling 2GB, “It’s disappointing, but not surprising. Pauline’s never really been articulate. It’s just a ridiculous statement to make.”
