Barnaby Joyce has a simple explanation for why One Nation's candidate in the Farrer byelection contradicted his own party's immigration policy: it's all that pesky "pressure of a campaign." You know, that thing where you're supposed to remember the platform you're running on.
Appearing on Sky News on Sunday, Joyce sought to downplay David Farley's apparent endorsement of Labor's current migration intake of 306,000 net overseas migrants last year - a number that is, shall we say, a bit north of One Nation's stated policy of capping migration at 130,000 per year. Farley, speaking at a candidate forum hosted by former Insiders host Barrie Cassidy, was asked directly if 306,000 was too many. His reply: "No, it's probably not."
Farley argued that migration numbers should be tied to housing, health, and education policy, and noted the need for skilled labour. Joyce, however, insisted the candidate agrees with party policy when they "talked about it." Presumably between the forum and the TV appearance, a quick refresher course was administered.
The Farrer byelection, a tight race between Farley and independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe, has the Nationals leader Matt Canavan playing the role of the unbothered philosopher. "These things don't concern me," Canavan told the ABC's Insiders, before proceeding to criticize both Farley and Milthorpe for running "dishonest" campaigns. Canavan also took aim at Farley's immigration comments, noting the party's website says they want numbers "massively slashed."
Meanwhile, Joyce also took time to wave away concerns about Gina Rinehart's million-dollar donation of a private plane to Pauline Hanson's party - worth more than $1.5m, with another $2m from her associates. "It won't really worry" voters, Joyce claimed, suggesting that journalists are more obsessed with lucrative gifts than ordinary people. He argued that uninspiring parties can't attract big donors, and that One Nation's conservative values clearly resonate with successful business people. Whether those values include agreeing with your own party's policies remains to be seen.