What we learned, Sunday 10 May
We’re going to wrap the live blog for today.
Thanks for your company today where the focus has been on the fallout from the remarkable, tectonic result in the Farrer byelection.
The ABC’s chief election analyst Casey Briggs reckons it is likely the first time “in modern political history” that the two-candidate final count in any federal electorate has been fought out between two candidates not from a “major” political party – Labor, the Liberals or the Nationals.
The Guardian’s own Tom McIlroy points out that Farrer has sent either a Liberal or a National to Canberra at every election in its near 70-year existence.
One Nation has won a lower house seat for the first time. And we’re hoping we helped you make sense of it all today. Here’s what we learned:
The former opposition leader, and outgoing Farrer MP, Sussan Ley says “the voters never get it wrong” in the wake of a historically low combined Liberal and National vote in Farrer.
Pauline Hanson says major parties “disregarded and disrespected voters” and described her critics as “bitter”.
The Liberals’ incumbent deputy, Jane Hume, admits voters lost trust in the Coalition.
Shadow treasurer, Tim Wilson, a former strident critic of One Nation, was forced to confront the prospect of the Liberals directing further preferences, or even seeking to govern in tandem with the rising rightwing populist party. He says the party needs to be “bigger, better, bolder”.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, who has flagged an extra $2bn for infrastructure in the budget, says Farrer was a “bloodbath” for the Coalition and leaves Labor the only party in the “sensible centre” of Australian politics.
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Updated at 06.43 CEST
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Teenager dies after falling during police operation in Queensland
An 18-year-old man has died after sustaining serious injuries when he fell from a balcony during a police operation in Queensland.
Queensland police’s ethical standards command is investigating the death in Spring Hill on Saturday evening. In a statement, police said officers had attended an address about 5.50pm, “following reports of a wanted person being spotted”.
double quotation markUpon arrival, officers located an 18-year-old Annerley man on the sixth floor of the building, who attempted to flee via a nearby balcony to a lower level, but fell and sustained serious injuries.
The man was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The state coroner has been advised. The ethical standards command investigation is subject to independent oversight by the state’s Crime and Corruption Commission. Police will address media later today about the death.
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Updated at 05.22 CEST
Christopher Knaus
Fourteen homeless people die a year in public parks or countryside, analysis finds
Fourteen rough sleepers are dying in public parks or the countryside each year on average in Australia, an analysis of hidden death reports reveals.
The deaths of a young international student sleeping rough in Hyde Park, a young homeless mother who died of sepsis in Western Australia, and a newborn baby at a makeshift homeless camp near Wagga beach have prompted an outpouring of grief and shock in recent weeks.
A homeless camp near Wagga beach. Photograph: Sean Davey/The Guardian
The deaths have triggered renewed focus on Australia’s homelessness crisis and the lack of social and emergency housing options, which are pushing vulnerable rough sleepers into precarious situations.
An analysis of coronial records, most of which are not public, reveals disturbing numbers of homelessness deaths in public parks and countryside areas, including riverbanks.
Read more here:
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Updated at 05.19 CEST
Sarah Basford Canales
‘Very happy’: former Liberal voter in Farrer
It’s been a reasonably quiet morning in Albury despite it being at the centre of a historical political byelection last night.
On the main streets of the Riverina town, people are going about their Sunday morning routines. There are some bustling cafes, but gone are the orange-shirted volunteers spilling out of the Bended Elbow for a cigarette break during One Nation’s victory party.
Billie, 64, and her husband, Mark, 69, are on a stroll with their coffees. Both are thrilled with last night’s results.
“Very happy,” says Mark, a former Liberal voter. He adds that he believes Pauline Hanson “says what a lot of people weren’t game to say, a couple years ago”.
Billie, 64, and Mark, 69, in Albury. Photograph: Sarah Basford Canales/The GuardianShare
Updated at 04.40 CEST
Rock fisher dies after being swept off rock NSW Central Coast
A rock fisher has died after he was swept off rocks on NSW’s Central Coast yesterday.
In a statement today, NSW police said emergency services were called about 1.20pm on Saturday to Frazer Park, after reports a rock fisher had been swept into the water.
The body of a 41-year-old man was recovered from the surf by helicopter. It is believed he was wearing a flotation device when he was struck by a wave.
Police said he was with two other men when the incident occurred. One of the men, who entered the water in an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve him, was rescued by a passing vessel and is uninjured.
Investigations are under way. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
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Updated at 04.20 CEST
Climbers, rescuers winched out of NSW mountain range after falling rock causes head injury
Two climbers and their rescuers have been winched to safety out of the Warrumbungles mountain range in north-central NSW, after one was hit on the head by a falling rock on Saturday.
The climbers from Victoria were about 150m up Cornerstone Rib, when one – a 61-year-old man – was hit by the rock and suffered cuts and a suspected concussion.
His climbing partner managed to reach the ledge and activated an emergency beacon about 1pm on Saturday.
A helicopter dropped police rescue officers and two critical care paramedics at the top of the bluff, and the climbers were brought to the top and treated.
The climbers and their rescuers remained there overnight before being winched out by a rescue helicopter about 8am on Sunday.
Officers from police rescue and two critical care paramedics were winched to the top of the Bluff by PolAir, the NSW police aviation command, and the climbers were brought up and treated.
The injured man was taken to hospital in Coonabarabran, where he is in a stable condition.
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Updated at 04.02 CEST
Australian-born Labour MP threatens to challenge Starmer for UK leadership
Taking a brief break from examining fissures in Australian politics, an Australian-born British Labour MP has said she will seek to trigger a leadership contest against the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer.
Catherine West grew up in Sydney and Darwin, but moved to the UK more than 20 years ago. She is the MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet and a former junior Foreign Office minister.
Catherine West. Photograph: Amer Ghazzal/Alamy Stock Photo/Alamy Live News.
On Saturday, West said that if no cabinet minister would seek to remove the prime minister, she would seek the necessary signatures herself to trigger a leadership contest.
West told the BBC’s PM programme:
double quotation markI’m putting people on notice – if I don’t hear by Monday morning of some leadership hopefuls, I will be asking everybody in the parliamentary Labour party to put a name against my name, because we need to get this ball rolling.
But my preferred option is for the cabinet to do a reshuffle within itself, where there’s plenty of talent and for Keir to be given a different role, which he might enjoy, perhaps an international role, and then for others to come to the fore, who can communicate the message, who are very able, so we can have minimum fuss.
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Updated at 02.41 CEST
Hanson says major parties disregarded and disrespected voters
Dan Jervis-Bardy
A triumphant Pauline Hanson has accused the major parties of “disregarding and disrespecting voters” for too long after One Nation’s win in the Farrer byelection.
Speaking on Sky News, Hanson said:
double quotation markIt’s not just a win for One Nation or Pauline Hanson – that’s not the big picture here. What I’m looking at is the win for Australia. We are now taking on the major political parties. (They) have been so arrogant for too long, disregarding, disrespecting, taking the voters out there for granted and knowing that they run this country into the ground. I want my country back. I want to bring back prosperity.
Hanson conducted the interview on the airport tarmac before boarding her new, Gina Rinehart-gifted, plane back to Queensland.
The One Nation leader praised the mining magnate as a proud and patriotic Australian while hitting out at her “bitter” critics.
double quotation markThese bitter people … tall poppy syndrome. Well, get over it people. I don’t ask for anything, but gee, when I got that backing from other people, I really appreciate it. So thank you very much, Mrs Rinehart.
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Updated at 01.54 CEST
Wilson says decision to form minority government with One Nation ‘up to the Australian people’
Speers asks, for the record, if Wilson is open to forming a minority government with One Nation MPs.
Wilson:
double quotation markIt all comes down to what Australians put up. I want to stop the Albanese government from continuing to wreck Australia.
My objective is to make sure the Liberal party is in a position to govern as strongly as possible. We traditionally form a coalition with the National party, but it’s up to the Australian people to decide who they want to vote for.
But I can tell you quite clearly my objective is to make sure Liberals beat One Nation candidates.
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Updated at 02.02 CEST
Wilson says Liberals’ Farrer preference deal ‘delivered’ result for One Nation
David Speers asks Tim Wilson directly: was the preference deal the right call, or the wrong call?
Wilson responds:
double quotation markWell it was a call that was made, and it’s obviously one that has, you know, delivered a result.
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Updated at 01.55 CEST
Wilson concedes Liberal preferences helped legitimise One Nation
Wilson is asked about his 2019 comments that One Nation and its “despicable acolytes” should be put last on Liberal how-to-votes.
He says there are plenty of people fighting for that “last position” on the ballot paper these days.
double quotation markIt’s not just One Nation any more. I wish it were that simple, but it’s not.
We’ll make these decisions on what puts us in the best position to defeat the government, to be in a position to win seats. Politics is zero-sum. Somebody wins, somebody loses, and I want to make sure Liberal candidates are elected.
But we do that by being our best and not by providing pathways to anyone else, including the teals, including Labor, including the Greens, and of course that includes One Nation too.
Asked whether the decision by the Liberals to direct preferences to One Nation in Farrer “adds to their credibility” and legitimacy. Wilson says there’s “no point pretending otherwise”.
double quotation markWhen you win seats it obviously gives them an opportunity and platform. That comes also with risks. So they’re there now and the performance of One Nation will be hinged on David Farley and, of course, the defector Barnaby Joyce. How they perform now will obviously inform how Australians see them.
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Updated at 01.42 CEST
