Australia's Riverina region sees Labor Party collapse as One Nation dominates

The Riverina electorate in New South Wales, once a Labor stronghold represented by former minister Al Grassby in the early 1970s, has become a fringe area for the party. In the 2025 federal election Labor secured only about 18 % of the primary vote in Riverina, and in the neighboring Farrer seat the party did not even field a candidate, allowing One Nation to win the by‑election comfortably.

Political analysts attribute the decline to demographic shifts, a reduction in union membership, and Labour’s focus on urban voters. The coalition’s long‑standing practice of avoiding three‑cornered contests in rural seats has united conservative voters behind a single candidate. Added to this is the rise of One Nation and the deep social conservatism of regional voters, which the National Party has historically tapped. Researchers from Charles Sturt University say these factors have consolidated right‑wing unity and eroded Labour’s rural base.