Australia’s far-right party makes further gains, taking seat in western state

Australia's far-right political party, One Nation led by senator Pauline Hanson, has secured a seat in the Western Australian parliament, previously held by the governing Labor Party for decades. This victory marks One Nation's first lower house seat in the state, following their first national lower house seat win in June this year. Opinions polls show the party overtaking Labor for the first time in June, a month after their House of Representatives election win.

The rise of One Nation is attributed to growing public frustration over housing shortages, high living costs, and a decline in support for Australia's major parties. Founded in 1997, One Nation traditionally occupied the political fringe, but its hard stance on immigration has attracted more supporters. Following the federal election, Tanya Plibersek, a senior federal Labor minister, acknowledged the challenge posed by One Nation's growing support, urging the party to consider the need to communicate its commitment to real delivery to address Australians' concerns.

One Nation's candidate, gym owner Luke Herdegen, won the Perth suburb of Secret Harbour by-election with 57% of the vote, after the incumbent Labor MP Paul Papalia resigned due to a family medical issue. Herdegen's win sends a strong message to Labor in both Western Australia and nationally, indicating that there are no safe Labor seats in the state or the country.