I have been bemused by a couple of recent items in the PT.
It seems that David Farley is being held to a much higher standard than other MPs.
Harold Clapham's letter (PT June 16, 2026) states that Mr Farley's victory should not be about creating a stepping stone for One Nation to garner national support.
I believe it is exactly the opposite of that. Mr Farley's win means there are now two One Nation MPs in the 150 seat lower house.
Whilst he can advocate for changes, with 1.3 per cent of the seats, One Nation is not in a position to change policy until that percentage increases significantly.
Mr Clapham then goes on to say that if at the next election "we are still having the same debate (about water) ... then One Nation will have proven no different from the parties it so decisively defeated".
Our previous representative was the leader of the Liberal party in opposition, and prior to that, she was a minister in various Coalition governments, but the water issues weren't solved.
How are Mr Farley and Barnaby Joyce supposed to solve these problems at a time when the Labor party has a massive majority? "Please explain", to quote a well-known politician.
I was also amused by the PT Opinion published on May 29, 2026.
There were several comments on Mr Farley that caught my eye, including "He has also not been forthcoming with efforts to communicate since the by-election".
I would point out to the PT that Mr Farley was only declared the winner of the by-election by the AEC at 10am on the day before you published your opinion piece.
He probably hadn't even had staff appointed to assist him at that time.
The headline of your opinion - ‘It's time to deliver on election promises’ - is dubious, to say the least.
My comments above, about the number of One Nation representatives and the massive majority held by Labor, apply to your comments equally as well.
It's fair to say that Mrs Milthorpe would have been in the same, or worse, position.
When One Nation holds the balance of power in the Senate (probably two elections away) and/or when it is part of a larger conservative coalition government, then you can start seriously questioning outcomes.
Disclosure: for the first time in my life, I was actively involved in the election by handing out how to vote cards for One Nation at the pre-poll and on polling day.
Yours etc.
Glenn Thomson
Deniliquin
6°C