One Nation claims victory in Secret Harbour byelection in Western Australia

One Nation candidate Luke Herdegen secures 57% of the vote after preferences as party’s WA leader says result will send shock waves across the country

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.

“By-elections bring up all kinds of opportunities for a whole range of issues to impact on the seat.”

On the ground in Secret Harbour, Labor was on the nose, with cost-of-living pressures, housing and a perceived lack of community amenities topping lists of voter concerns.

Local Luke Pors voted for One Nation and believes it will do a better job than either Labor or Liberal.

“We know what their true goal is and I think just in One Nation we trust,” he said.

The Qantas flight attendant was also impressed by Herdegen’s campaign.

“He’s like a home buddy and as obviously a youngie; we can really connect with him,” he said.

“It has been a pretty strong campaign by Luke Herdegen,” Les Scard said. “He deserves a chance.