Australia politics live: Albanese blames Coalition for ‘legitimising’ One Nation; Joyce says his party will ‘go for government’

In a stunning upset, the Liberal Party has suffered a "devastating" loss in the Farrer byelection, with Prime Minister yet to come to terms with the outcome. The defeat marks a significant blow to the party's fortunes, and has sparked a renewed sense of optimism among One Nation supporters. Party leader Barnaby Joyce is reveling in the win, boasting that his party is "not a party of government... yet," a statement that has been met with skepticism by critics who point out that the party's influence in western Sydney is now a reality. As the full extent of the Liberal Party's loss becomes clear, questions are being asked about the party's future direction and whether it can regroup and recover from this embarrassing defeat.

Prime minister says Farrer byelection a ‘devastating’ loss for Angus Taylor and the Liberal party. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast‘We’re not a party of government … yet,’ says JoyceBarnaby Joyce is doing something of a victory lap for One Nation this morning, hitting the radio and TVs to celebrate the emphatic byelection win.The sort of conceited statement, oh, you’re not a party of government. Well, let’s finish that with a rejoiner, yet.This is a dynamic change. And talking to people last night in the western suburbs of Sydney, last night, they’re quite at home with the idea of One Nation being a dominant force in western Sydney. Absolutely 100% on board with the idea.We know people are under pressure. And the easy path is to say, oh, well, we’ll just sit back and watch that occur. The difficult decision, but the right decision is to do the right thing with the right policies to deliver. And clearly, people are frustrated. Issues like intergenerational equity. People are worried that younger Australians are never going to get a crack at home ownership … too many young people are close to giving up on the opportunity of owning their own home.If we do change our position on any policy, we will explain why it is that that is occurring. Continue reading...