A political disagreement has emerged within the One Nation party regarding its official migration policy. The controversy began when David Farley, the party’s representative for the seat of Farrer, appeared on ABC’s 'Insiders' program. During the interview, Farley suggested that the party’s net overseas migration (NOM) target was 'not too different' from the current Labor government’s figures.

Following these remarks, Barnaby Joyce publicly addressed the situation, describing Farley’s comments as a 'rookie mistake' and asserting that the MP had misspoke. The core of the confusion centers on how One Nation calculates its migration goals. While the party maintains a nominal net migration target of 130,000, Farley’s comments implied that this figure would be supplemented by at least 100,000 additional migrant workers. These additional workers would include individuals entering through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, as well as backpackers and skilled workers.

While the party has attempted to walk back the suggestion that their policy aligns with Labor’s, the incident has highlighted internal friction regarding how the party communicates its stance on labor mobility and international migration. The Guardian reports that these comments caused significant internal tension, leading leadership to distance themselves from Farley’s interpretation of the party platform.