One Nation’s candidate for Farrer David Farley has walked back his apology to opposition frontbencher James Paterson over an altercation with a volunteer in Albury.
The confrontation occurred three days before the Farrer by-election over a National Party sign that highlighted Mr Farley’s prior support for Labor as an aspiring candidate and donor.
Footage of the incident shows Senator Paterson filming an interaction with a One Nation volunteer before the man snatches the parliamentarian’s phone off him.
The Liberal politician has insisted he only started filming when the interaction began to “get aggressive”.
He also revealed Mr Farley and One Nation chief of staff James Ashby had personally called him to apologise shortly after the incident. Party leader Pauline Hanson also apologised for the altercation in a subsequent television interview.
But on Thursday, Mr Farley abruptly reversed his position on the incident.
He told Sky News that he believed the volunteer was “goaded” into the clash.
“I was travelling back in from Deniliquin when the news came through. I immediately rang Senator Paterson to see that he was OK,” Mr Farley said on Thursday.
“Then I spoke to our volunteer, Alan, to make sure he was OK.
“When I arrived back home, I was able to check Senator Paterson’s video that he posted and the reality was Paterson was slinking around like a mongrel dog looking for a fight.
“He goaded our volunteer into it. It’s disappointing that a federal senator reaches that low in a campaign like this.”
Senator Hanson later echoed those comments and accused the Liberal politician of playing “dirty politics” by pointing to Mr Farley’s prior links to Labor.
“I’m sick of the dirty politics that’s going on here … the backhand and the gutter politics that’s happening,” she said on Friday. “I expected something different from James Paterson,” she said.
“That’s why I changed my opinion about this when I saw the full video clip.”
These comments come after Mr Ashby also withdrew his apology to Senator Paterson.
The Coalition has sharply criticised One Nation’s swift reversal on the incident.
“I think it’s disgraceful and really unedifying,” opposition communications spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said on Friday.
“And it’s an example that One Nation are talking about themselves and not talking about the people of Farrer
“Our focus in on the people of Farrer. What they need is the strongest possible representation.”
