WA Premier attacks One Nation after Secret Harbour candidate Georgia Tree’s ‘skeletons in the closet’ comment

Roger Cook has launched another blistering attack on One Nation, blasting it as a party that celebrates and promotes convicted criminals when pressed on his Secret Harbour candidate’s historic claims Labor had a culture of workplace sexual harassment.

The Premier’s comments come as the political strategist running his party’s campaign for the upcoming by-election launched into an unprompted tirade of his own over Pauline Hanson, who he claimed had an appalling record of supporting perpetrators to run for office.

The West Australian reported on Monday Labor candidate Georgia Tree — who should be the frontrunner in the race for the Secret Harbour seat left vacant by the retired Paul Papalia — had in 2021 publicly claimed her party had “skeletons” in its closet that she likened to the cover-up of abuse in the Catholic church.

She made the allegations on the In The House and In The Senate podcast while working as an advisor to Federal MP Madeleine King in the wake of Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape scandal becoming public.

Ms Tree said it would have been hypocritical for Labor to paint Ms Higgins’ claims as an issue only inside the then-Liberal Government.

“Hello, guys, like as if it’s not happening here. . . it’s like the Catholic Church right, like we don’t want to taint the brand, so let’s deal with everything in house and everyone just shut up,” she said.

Ms Tree also said she at times felt “powerless” as a staffer within Parliament where the expectation was to stay silent.

Mr Cook was asked about the comments on Monday and, while stating he was proud of her advocacy, used the opportunity to launch into the Senator Hanson-led One Nation, which is widely considered the WA Government’s main rival for the Secret Harbour seat.

“What it shows is that Georgia Tree stands up for her community, she doesn’t take bull crap, she calls it out when she sees it, and she was making a comment about the people who don’t have a voice, the people who are voiceless,” he said.

“She was providing a voice to those people, so I’m proud of the comments that she made.

“This stands in contrast to One Nation, doesn’t it?

“I mean, they are the people who promote people who are being charged or convicted or with outstanding arrest of warrants for sexual assault, they promote as their campaign leader, someone who is a convicted rapist.”

Mr Cook said he didn’t know the “skeletons” his candidate was referring to, and wouldn’t says if WA Labor had any of its own, but that there had been significant changes over the last decade, pointing to the fact more than half his Cabinet were women.

WA Labor State Secretary Mark Reed — who is responsible for the party’s Secret Harbour campaign — was similarly critical of the minor party when The West Australian contacted Ms Tree for clarity around her comments on Sunday.

In an unprompted statement at the bottom of Ms Tree’s response to The West’s request — which did not mention One Nation — Mr Reed similarly blasted Senator Hanson and the party over its prior record of candidates.

“One Nation’s record, when it comes to supporting the candidacy and employment of people who have been charged, convicted or have outstanding warrants for their arrest is frankly appalling and unprecedented in Australian politics,” he said.

“Sexual touching without consent, family violence, domestic abuse, assault, and in at least one instance a rape conviction — this is just a selection of abuses her candidates and staff have committed.

“Pauline Hanson has a 30-year record of supporting criminals and perpetrators to run for office or occupy critical positions in her Party’s structure.

“And Basil Zempilas’s response to this is to do a preference deal with her, and actively support their candidate in the upcoming by-election, leaving his own candidate high and dry.

“Does Basil Zempilas think it’s a good idea to back a Party that knowingly supported a convicted rapist to run their campaigns, and complained when they felt pressured to let him go?”

While Mr Cook nor Mr Reed specified any names, it is understood they were referring to Sean Black, a convicted rapist who had been hired to run the party’s Federal election campaign last year before being sacked in April.

Its 2026 SA State election candidate Aoi Baxter was dumped after he was revealed to have a warrant for his arrest in the UK for failing to show up to court over sexual offence charges. The West does not suggest Mr Baxter is guilty of any crime.

A 2025 candidate for the Federal Hasluck seat was also found to have been convicted 15 times for breaching a family violence restraining order.

Labor has been accused of running a dirty campaign for the Secret Harbour by-election, which had been considered a very safe seat until the One Nation’s rapid growth in popularity across the country in recent months.

The party has ramped up an online advertising campaign that attacks the minor party and Senator Hanson, as well as Mr Zempilas and the Liberal party, which had been labelled “grubby” by political sources.

One Nation WA leader Rod Caddies said Mr Cook and Mr Reed’s latest comments were just another example of dirty tactics being used to win the seat.

“All sides of politics are noticing Labor and the Premier’s desperate and bizarre tactics,” he said.

“Their attempt to use weasel words to imply nefarious things about my candidate or me shows the Premier’s lack of moral standards and character, and I won’t be pulled down into the gutter with him.

“How disappointing it is to see the government behave this way. We are on opposite sides of politics, but even I was still expecting certain basic standards of behaviour. We expected a robust campaign that pulls no punches, not this bizarre display of gutter politics.

“As for One Nation, we won’t be engaging in sneaky character assassination attempts and misleading narratives; hopefully Labor can follow our lead.”

Ms Tree doubled down on the comments made in the podcast on Monday, but would not clarify specific examples or branches of the party she was referring to the interview.

“I stand by my comments. I’m proud to have been part of a group of people who pushed for change that has resulted in improvements to the working environment in Federal Parliament as a result of the Jenkins Review,” she said.

“My focus is on fighting for the people of Secret Harbour and this by-election campaign, not my comments from five years ago.

“Just yesterday while door knocking, I met a 14-year-old girl who is interested in politics and one day joining the Labor Party. I’m proud that I have helped create a safer environment for her.”

Ms King said she was “enormously proud” of her former staffer’s leadership on the issue, but stated there was still more to do.

“There have been many positive changes in the way women are treated in politics and in Parliament House and that is thanks to the efforts of Georgia and others,” she said.

One Nation are represented by gym owner Luke Herdegen in the August 29 by-election, who is considered to be Ms Tree’s main threat.

Liberal candidate Ryan Robertson and the Greens’ Rhi Davies are among the 16 in the race for the seat.