Paul J. Berating

Today's Top Stories

⚡ Top Story

The Conversation · Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

One Nation takes Farrer as Liberals lose a seat they thought came with the freehold

David Farley's One Nation win in Farrer is the party's first ever federal lower house seat, and the Liberals' primary vote collapsed to deliver it.

The Liberals have lost a seat to One Nation that they've held since Menzies was in short pants. Hanson's mob didn't win Farrer — the Liberals lost it, and they lost it the same way they lose everything now: by assuming the furniture votes for them. Menzies built a broad church. Sussan Ley's lot couldn't hold a country pew.

SMH · Nick Newling

Farrer byelection: One Nation circles Ley's old seat as 12 candidates compete

The 48th parliament's first byelection sees 12 candidates contest the NSW Riverina seat vacated by Sussan Ley, with One Nation positioning to break Liberal dominance.

Twelve candidates fighting over Sussan Ley's leftover crockery, and One Nation reckons they're the dinner party. Farrer's been Liberal since the Menzies era — if Hanson takes it, the Coalition won't be able to raffle a chook in their own heartland. The bush isn't drifting right; it's drifting away.

Guardian Australia · Lisa Cox Environment and climate correspondent

CSIRO gets $387m after a petition does the work the budget should have

Albanese government tops up CSIRO by $387.4m after sustained advocacy and a petition exposed funding at its lowest level since 1978.

Lowest CSIRO funding since 1978 and it took a petition with tens of thousands of signatures to get the cheque book out. The science agency that gave us wifi was being run like a suburban op shop while the Treasury talked up the innovation economy. Pocock claps and the government takes the bow — handy work if you can starve the patient first and then bill yourself for the ambulance.

The Conversation · Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Hanson eyes the lower house — the Senate carpet's worn through

Pauline Hanson floats quitting the Senate to run for the House of Representatives, with One Nation talking up its chances in the seat of Farrer.

Hanson's been in the Senate so long the carpet's worn a Pauline-shaped patch. Now she's eyeing Farrer like a prospector who's heard there's gold in the next paddock. The Senate gave her a seat for life and a megaphone. The lower house gives you a marginal and a three-year contract. She'll think about it until someone reminds her what work is.