National News
One Nation claims victory in Secret Harbour by-election in Western Australia
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has declared “politics has changed” after One Nation claimed victory in the Secret Harbour state by-election in Western Australia.
The byelection was triggered after senior Labor minister Paul Papalia retired midterm. One Nation’s Luke Herdegen had defeated Labor’s Georgia Tree 57-42 after preferences with 74.5% of the vote counted as of Sunday morning.
The party’s leader, Pauline Hanson, also warned on social media that One Nation would continue targeting Labor-held seats, and said voters were choosing the party as a serious alternative.
The Liberal party ran a distant third in the byelection, clocking a primary vote of 17%. Federal Liberal frontbencher Jonno Duniam conceded it was a poor outcome and that his party had work to do to claw the votes back.
Cost-of-living pressures, housing and a perceived lack of community amenities topped the list of voter concerns. Locals who voted for One Nation said it would do a better job than either Labor or Liberal.