One Nation’s Farrer byelection candidate has dismissed claims that he used an apolitical advocacy group’s Facebook page to label his primary opponent as beholden to the socially progressive “teal” movement, as the two locals prepare for battle at next month’s pivotal poll.
National attention has turned to the May 9 vote, triggered by the ousting of former opposition leader Sussan Ley, as the first federal test of One Nation’s soaring popularity, with questions raised about the capacity of the Liberal and Nationals parties to reach voters in the regional NSW seat they have held for more than 76 years.
The dispute arose when a community group advocating for agricultural irrigators posted a message from One Nation candidate David Farley to its Facebook page on Tuesday, accusing Michelle Milthorpe of being disingenuous about her independence.
“The latest on the so-called ‘independent’ candidate for Farrer. A key Climate 200 spin doctor has been drafted in to run her campaign. Despite this, and despite receiving $178,000 from Climate 200 for her 2025 campaign, we’re supposed to believe she’s a genuine local ‘independent’, not joined at the hip with the Teal/Climate 200 movement,” the post on Speak Up 4 Water’s page read.
Milthorpe’s campaign manager, Max Koslowski, has strong links to the Climate 200 teal independent movement: he was involved in Wentworth MP Allegra Spender’s 2022 campaign and managed NSW state MP Jacqui Scruby’s successful byelection campaign in 2024.
“The reality is Michelle Milthorpe isn’t being upfront with the voters of Farrer. She continues to try to pull the wool over their eyes,” the Facebook post continued.
“Voters have had enough of this. They’ve had enough of it from uniparty politicians over the past few decades without fake independents shape-shifting onto the scene.
“Two of the key factors hurting Farrer currently are the net zero agenda aggressively backed by Climate 200, and a failed water policy associated with the same ideology. Putting a spotlight on this so-called ‘independent’ isn’t negative campaigning. It’s necessary. Voters deserve to know what they’re voting for.”
The post was attributed to Farley as the group’s chair, a role he is listed as holding on the group’s website.
But Farley told this masthead he stepped down as chair after his preselection last month, and would only return should he lose the byelection.
Responding to the post, Milthorpe said: “I think it’s extremely disappointing to see a candidate politicise a widely respected advocacy organisation for his own self-interest … It’s an advocacy organisation that’s not meant to be political.”
Milthorpe said claims that she was beholden to Climate 200 were “lazy”, arguing that only 2 per cent of donations made to her campaign came from the funding vehicle.
Similar attacks have been launched against independents in inner-city electorates in previous general elections.
Milthorpe said it was laughable to describe her as a teal and distanced herself from the bloc representing former Liberal heartlands in capital cities.
“The reality is that the so-called teals, they have very little understanding of what’s going on out here,” she said. “Certainly, I would say, minimal understanding of what the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has done for our country.”
The comments were echoed by Speak Up 4 Water co-founder Vicki Meyer, who said: “It was so disappointing to use that as a platform and take it down the One Nation line. [Farley] should be standing on his own two feet.”
Meyer said she was a “behind the scenes” volunteer for the Milthorpe campaign, but would be present at polling booths to support the independent.
Farley rebuffed claims that the attack was too personal.
“We are running a political campaign at the moment,” he said. “I look at the stuff that gets posted about me that I don’t like, but it’s a political campaign.
“[Milthorpe’s] alignment is with Climate 200 and with the teal, she’s aligned herself with [independent ACT senator David] Pocock and [independent MP] Helen Haines. Does that alignment work well for Farrer?”
Pocock and Haines have travelled to the electorate to support Milthorpe. The candidate was also endorsed by veteran regional Queensland MP Bob Katter, a move mocked by One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce.
Nick Newling is a federal politics reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.