Live: Sussan Ley says Liberals need to 'change or die' as One Nation wins Farrer by-election

In a historic seismic shift in Australian politics, One Nation’s David Farley has been projected to win the Farrer by-election, marking the first time the party has secured a seat in the Lower House. The loss of this long-held Liberal stronghold has prompted Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley to issue a stark ultimatum to her party colleagues, declaring the Coalition must ‘change or die’ to remain relevant to the Australian electorate.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation called the seat late this evening as preference flows cemented a monumental upset in what was previously considered one of the safest conservative heartlands in the country. This unprecedented result reflects a deepening wave of disillusionment among rural communities and signals a potential restructuring of the nation’s political landscape as the major parties lose their grip on traditional regional constituencies.

“This isn’t just the loss of a seat; it is the shattering of a traditional political barricade, proving that no stronghold is immune to the rising tide of voter frustration in the Australian bush.”

As the Liberal Party begins an urgent post-mortem on the devastating defeat, focus shifts to Farley’s impending arrival in Canberra and the immediate pressure on the Opposition to redefine its core platform. With the Farrer result now confirmed, the party faces its most significant internal reckoning in decades, as it grapples with how to win back the trust of voters who have effectively moved to the political fringes.