One Nation tipped to win by-election in safe Labor seat

A recently left-leaning state could be shifting back to the right, with Labor on the nose and One Nation tipped to win a by-election.

Voters in the safe Labor seat of Secret Harbour, south of Perth, will head to the polls on Saturday after long-serving MP and senior government minister Paul Papalia retired mid-term.

Support for Pauline Hanson's One Nation has been steadily growing in the Western Australian mortgage-belt seat.

And it could have longer-term implications for senior federal Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, whose marginal seat of Canning takes in the Secret Harbour electorate and is being openly targeted by One Nation.

"This is one of the first tests for One Nation, certainly in Western Australia, since their popularity in the polls seems to have risen," political analyst and Notre Dame University executive dean Martin Drum told AAP.

"Last year they got four per cent of the statewide vote, but the polling's more than quadrupling that now.

Labor has been dominant out west at both state and federal level in recent years, with a WA voter swing driving the party's national victory in 2022.

But on the ground in outer-suburban Secret Harbour, a voter base of primarily young working families and blue-collar workers is vocal about their frustration with the major parties and a perceived lack of basic services.

Federal issues, the cost of living and housing supply are also front of mind.

"Everyone's sick of the current state of politics at the moment," construction worker Justin Small told AAP.

"We want a fresh change. We just want to be able to live easier and cheaper.

"Pauline Hanson and One Nation seem to be the obvious choice for a lot of people."

Mr Small voted early for One Nation and its candidate, gym franchise owner Luke Herdegen.

He says he's not concerned about the right-wing party's controversial plans to slash immigration.