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Squiz Today

Squiz Shortcuts: What’s at stake in Farrer

21 Apr 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.031 - 23.929 Unknown

This is a Squiz Podcast, where you're shortcut to being informed. Today's podcast is brought to you by Revolut. Whether you're saving for something big, planning some travel and want to avoid high fees, or staying on top of your expenses, Revolut makes it easy with one seamless account. To find out more and to score a $40 sign up and spend bonus, visit the link in today's episode notes.

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30.592 - 35.998 Andrew Williams

You'll be hearing the word Farrah a lot in the Aussie news media for the next few weeks.

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Chapter 2: What is the significance of the Farrer by-election?

36.078 - 55.103 Andrew Williams

It's the site of a federal by-election on the 9th of May. But the stakes for this by-election are unusually high, particularly on the conservative side of politics. With One Nation riding high in the polls, it is a genuine chance to win a lower house seat that it has never held. A seat that has only ever been held. by the Liberal or National parties.

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55.163 - 61.899 Andrew Williams

So on this quiz shortcut, we'll tell you about Farrah, who's running and why it'll be such a focus over the next month. I'm Andrew Williams.

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62.1 - 63.383 Claire Kimball

And I'm Claire Kimball.

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71.142 - 78.293 Andrew Williams

Claire, let's start right at the beginning by explaining what a by-election is. This is a favourite topic of yours, I know, electoral process.

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78.633 - 89.329 Claire Kimball

Well, look, two major interests of mine come together. By-elections as a general category, but FARA as well. So the reason I'm celebrity guest starring.

89.349 - 91.092 Andrew Williams

You are celebrity guest starring, yes.

91.072 - 104.468 Claire Kimball

on this shortcut is that I'm a Farrar girl. That's where I come from, based in Albury. Long-time Squizzers know this. I'll be able to bring some local experience and maybe some town name pronunciation as well.

104.488 - 107.592 Andrew Williams

I need that. I'm from a long way away from Farrar.

107.612 - 114.48 Claire Kimball

And when you're from regional Australia, you know that that's very important. But yes, on to by-elections. Let's start there.

Chapter 3: What is a by-election and how does it work?

266.177 - 288.57 Claire Kimball

Of course, Victoria's on the other side. So South Australian border, Victorian border. It even went all the way up to Bourke. So it hit the Queensland border in those days. Doesn't anymore. It just borders South Australia to the west. It's a big seat still. Albury and Griffith are the population centres.

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289.391 - 296.079 Claire Kimball

And then you get into towns that you might have heard of, like Deniliquin, which, of course, has the Denny Muster.

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296.279 - 297.941 Unknown

The Denny Muster. The Ute Muster.

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297.961 - 306.171 Claire Kimball

Yeah, exactly right. Leighton, which is a beautiful little town in that seat, and Holbrook, which if you've driven from Sydney to Melbourne, you'll see the big submarine.

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306.391 - 315.302 Andrew Williams

Yeah. Susan Lee is a pilot and used to fly around it. That's how big it is. I did have a look to see, well, is it one of our biggest electrics? Not even close.

316.583 - 335.987 Claire Kimball

Used to be, but it's not anymore. There's one big grey used to be a really big South Australian seat as well, which basically covered most of South Australia. It's still a very, very big seat. Getting around it if you're the MP is quite a feat. And Lee had a real advantage in being able to charter and fly her own plane.

336.007 - 349.287 Andrew Williams

Yeah, get around by plane, which was handy. Not everyone is going to have that option available to them. But as you've probably gathered, it's a regional electorate. We're in rural Australia here. We've got lots of people working in those industries.

349.327 - 359.522 Andrew Williams

So one of the real key issues involved, no matter which party's website you look up, no matter what story you read about Farah, water policy is just constantly front and centre.

359.587 - 385.628 Claire Kimball

Water is a really big deal because the electric covers thousands of kilometres of the Murray and the Murrumbidgee rivers. So when you're talking about the Murray-Darling Basin, the food bowl part, like this is high agricultural production, so lots of irrigators. They have a real interest in the economic and environmental asset management of those rivers, how they're able to buy and use water and

Chapter 4: Why is water policy a critical issue in Farrer?

1327.359 - 1346.1 Andrew Williams

Lots of people will be watching, including the leaders of these parties involved, as we mentioned before. The stakes and the interest in this by-election is very, very high. And that's our shortcut to it. Claire, thank you very much for lending your local expertise. As you know, each week we like to give Squizz's recommendations for further reading, watching and listening on the topic.

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1346.621 - 1362.78 Andrew Williams

Because I'm not from Farrar, I read a very expansive piece in the ABC. We referenced it before about the childcare centre that someone did go out, talk to voters in Farrar about what's important to them. heading into this by-election, of course. In the end, it's about the issues. The other thing I looked at that we'll link to, I spent a lot of time on Anthony Green's election blog.

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1363 - 1364.162 Claire Kimball

I thought he was retired.

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1364.262 - 1367.566 Andrew Williams

No, he's still going. Still kicking along.

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1367.726 - 1368.667 Claire Kimball

Just can't give it up.

1368.707 - 1387.813 Andrew Williams

Writing lots of very detailed pieces about Farah redistributions and election maths and all that sort of thing. Yeah, looking at the history of this electorate, how it's voted in the past, as we say, they don't tend to make a lot of changes. So we'll link to one of the many good pieces on that if you'd like to do a deeper dive. I'll put links to both of those in the episode notes.

1387.893 - 1400.997 Andrew Williams

Thank you very much for listening and remember to share this episode with your mates who want to hear the backstory to the big news stories. Don't forget, if you've got an idea for one of these, we love to hear them and we love to hear from you. Just flick it through to hello at thesquiz.com.au. Until next time.

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