Representative David Farley Contact information

David Farley (born 1957) is an Australian politician. A member of One Nation, he has been the member of Parliament (MP) for the New South Wales division of Farrer since 2026, and is the party’s first elected member of the House of Representatives.

David Farley was born in 1957. His grandfather was a World War I veteran and his father a World War II veteran. Both have since died, being “buried him under the Australian flag.”

Farley was managing director and chief executive officer of the Australian Agricultural Company from December 2009 to July 2013. During his tenure, Farley backed the hiring of hundreds of Indian migrants. In 2012 he caused controversy by referring to then Prime Minister Julia Gillard as a “Non-productive old cow.” He stepped down in July 2013, in a move which was described as a surprise. At the same time, he accused Barnaby Joyce of holding " xenophobic views” by opposing Chinese investment in Australian farmland.

Farley was a member of the New South Wales National Party from 2015 to 2020. In 2019, he applied to fill a vacancy in the New South Wales Legislative Council, but was rejected. In 2020, he applied to join the Australian Labor Party, and filled out a form expressing interest in running as a NSW Labor candidate. His application for membership was rejected.

In 2023, Farley donated money to Voices for Farrer, and later supported the group’s independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe ahead of the 2025 federal election. Milthorpe came second and was beaten by incumbent Liberal MP Sussan Ley. Ley received 56.19% of the two-candidate preferred vote, compared to Milthrope who received 43.81%. The One Nation candidate got 6.6% of first preference votes. Ley went on to become leader of the opposition after the election.

At some point after this election Farley claims to have joined the hard right One Nation party and was elected chair of an activism group called “Speak Up 4 Water.”

In February 2026 the resignation of former opposition leader and Liberal MP Sussan Ley triggered a May by-election for Farrer. Farley was one of 80 candidates assessed by One Nation to be a candidate, and one of 3 put up for preselection. Farley was chosen as the One Nation candidate, becoming the first One Nation candidate chosen by a local party branch. As a result of the Labor party not contesting the election and bad polling for the Liberal and National candidates, independent Milthorpe became his main opponent.