One Nation has claimed victory in the Secret Harbour state byelection in Western Australia With 74.5% of the vote counted, One Nation’s Luke Herdegen leads Labor’s Georgia Tree 57-42 after preferences. One Nation’s WA leader Rod Caddies claimed victory at 9:30pm local time saying the result showed there were “no safe Labor seats in this state or in this country anymore” and that it would send “shock waves across the entire country”. Voters in the safe Labor seat cast their ballots on Saturday after senior minister Paul Papalia’s mid-term retirement triggered the contest.
Luke Herdegen has been buoyed by a sea of orange across polling booths in the beachside electorate, south of Perth. WA Premier Roger Cook wasn’t throwing in the towel but conceded it would be a battle to hold the outer-suburban mortgage-belt electorate. Local Luke Pors voted for One Nation and believes it will do a better job than either Labor or Liberal.
The Qantas flight attendant was also impressed by Herdegen’s campaign. Retirees Ann and Les Scard also voted One Nation. Retired truck driver Dean Maxwell isn’t so sure.
I think she’s in Gina Rinehart’s pocket.” One Nation’s performance in the tradie-haven will be of interest across the nation, particularly Victoria, which has a state election in November.
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