One Nation secures first lower house seat in WA in result that will ‘send shockwaves across country’

Pauline Hanson declared One Nation’s stunning result in Secret Harbour is just the beginning of the party’s rise in WA, and warned Anthony Albanese she is coming for him in 2028.

It comes as One Nation attracted 35.8 per cent of the primary vote at 10.00pm, well ahead of Labor on 25 per cent and the Liberals on 17.4 per cent.

The WA Electoral Commission had One Nation’s Luke Herdegen ahead of the ALP’s candidate Georgia Tree 53.9 per cent to 46.1 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

That represents a brutal 17.5 per cent swing away from Labor in a seat it won convincingly only last year.

Senator Hanson’s party has never taken a lower house seat in WA and polled just 8 per cent in Secret Harbour in 2025.

“To see such a dramatic shift in support towards One Nation since the last WA election is just phenomenal,” Senator Hanson told The Sunday Times.

“Luke has been an outstanding candidate who locals liked from day one. I saw it firsthand when I walked through the streets with him.

“Tonight’s result should be a warning to Labor, we’re coming for more of your seats.”

So far this year, One Nation had won four Lower House seats in the South Australian election and won the once-Liberal Federal seat of Farrer. Now it is on the cusp of claiming a crucial WA scalp.

“The support throughout this by-election has been exactly the same as what we’ve seen in South Australia, Farrer and Nepean. Endless volunteers, solid candidates, common sense policies, and generous donations from regular Aussies,” Senator Hanson said.

“Australians are choosing One Nation as a serious alternative to the tired old ‘uni-party’ who have destroyed our nation’s economic prowess and made the cost of living so outrageously unaffordable.

“I’m just so thrilled by tonight’s result. I’m thrilled for Luke, our party members in WA and across the country, the volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout this campaign, and the generosity of those who gave donations to help One Nation’s campaign.

“I know the emotions Luke must be feeling tonight.”

Mr Herdegen declared the result “the greatest night of my life”.

“It’s the greatest night of my dad’s life, too.” he said.

“Dreams do come true.”

He claimed victory at 9.30pm.

“The people of Secret Harbour have sent a message that will send shockwaves around the country,” Mr Herdegen said.

“No seat is safe from the orange tsunami.”

There was absolute euphoria at the One Nation campaign function in Karnup, with about 200 supporters dancing, singing, clapping and dancing.

AC/DC, Cold Chisel, Dragon — it was like a high-school reunion as the music blared through the speakers.

Premier Roger Cook had earlier conceded change was in the air, as he rallied the troops alongside Labor candidate Georgia Tree.

“It would break my heart but, you know, we’re in the hands of the people of Secret Harbour,” Mr Cook said.

“I’m just today immensely proud of the woman that’s standing behind me, I’m immensely proud of the campaign that we’ve run.”

Ms Tree couldn’t vote for herself because she lives 61km outside the electorate — in Perth’s inner-north.

On Saturday night she arrived to huge cheers at a Labor post-election event which included Rita Saffioti, Amber-Jade Sanderson and Federal MP Matt Keogh.

She insisted the result was still too close to call.

“We still have 50 per cent of the vote to be counted, clearly this is going to be a tough night for Labor,” she said.

“We always said this campaign was going to be a fight and it has been a fight, so close tonight but we don’t have a result.”

Mr Cook vowed Labor wouldn’t “shirk” the result and will listen to voters who delivered a brutal blow to his government.

The Premier said his Government would double down and work harder, and included a jab at the “new coalition” between One Nation and Liberals.

“By-elections are tough for incumbents, we all know that,” Mr Cook said. “But we have a responsibility as a party of government, as the incumbent government, to deal with that and not to shirk from it.

“It’s easy to be a small target, to be a party that deals with grievance. Delivery, the grind of getting hard things done is how Labor handles that responsibility”.

Earlier in the day, Ms Tree became emotional greeting Labor’s volunteers at the polling booth, who included her father.

“He’s part of my hype squad. He’s super proud of me, and he’s been such a great support,” Ms Tree said.

She again trumpeted Labor’s renewed plan to start construction on a Karnup train station in 2028 as proof she had “runs on the board” but denied it was evidence of government inaction over the past decade.

“We’re already building a hospital in Mandurah, we’ve made public transport cheaper,” Ms Tree said.

“I don’t think that it’s fair to say that Labor has left this seat in the lurch, absolutely not”.

But she was bracing for a protest vote.

“I have my eyes completely open to that, and it will be very interesting to see once the counting’s done where that lands,” she said. “It’s always tough in a by-election, and we’ve seen right-wing populism take place all over the globe and Australia is not immune from that.”

Over at the Liberal Party’s election night event, candidate Ryan Robertson and State leader Basil Zempilas entered to a rapturous standing ovation.

Around 80 supporters were there including Federal MPs Michaelia Cash and Andrew Hastie, who streamed into the function after a long day manning the polling stations.

Mr Zempilas conceded defeat but still said his party should be proud of its effort.

“We have fought a very good fight, but ultimately we’ll fall short of sending Ryan into the Parliament of WA,” he said. “We know that counting continues and as I’ve said, it is for others to claim or to concede victory.

“But it is very clear tonight that most likely WA Labor are going to lose the seat of Secret Harbour.”

Mr Robertson argued the party was on the right track.

“Although it seems that it might not be our night tonight, I am so incredibly proud of the work that we have all done,” he said. “I truly believe that we have put the Liberal Party back on the map to be able to send a clear message to the West Australian people that we are here, we are listening, and we are professional outfits that is going to deliver for WA.”

Mr Zempilas stood by the Liberals’ campaign, saying he had “no regrets” about preferencing One Nation third.

“Any result that means Labor do not hold a seat that they have always held … will be a victory for all of those people who keep telling us they are frustrated by this Labor government,” he said.

Defeat will hardly dent the Cook Government’s majority in State Parliament, with Labor holding 46 of the 59 Lower House seats before Paul Papalia’s early retirement triggered the by-election.

But backbenchers are worried it’s a sign of third-term jitters and party heavyweights are watching the results in Secret Harbour closely as it’s the first ballot-box test of One Nation’s new popularity in a Labor seat.

Senior Labor sources on Saturday night bemoaned a campaign that had missed the mark.

“A lot of effort was put in, we had a good candidate, but the fact she didn’t live in the area was a telling factor,” the source said.

“In a by-election you should have a candidate that not only has grown up in the area — but lives there.

“And the Karnup train station should have been promised well before the campaign.”