Labor has secured another resounding victory in the Western Australian election, with Roger Cook elected as premier by the public for the first time.
The Liberals endured a disastrous night, failing to secure many expected seats and raising fresh speculation about Libby Mettam’s leadership. Significant swings towards the Greens and independents further reshaped the political landscape.
Labor’s victory marked the first time a party has won three consecutive elections in WA since the 1980s.
Premier Roger Cook attributed the success to “sensible, stable government focused on strong financial management.”
“We relentlessly pursued the creation of jobs and the delivery of infrastructure and services that people need,” Cook said in his victory speech. In a social media post, Cook expressed gratitude to voters, saying,
“It is a true honour to serve this beautiful state. And one I will never take for granted. Tomorrow, we get back to work. Thank you WA.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated Cook on X, formerly Twitter, writing, “Congratulations to @RogerCookMLA and @walabor on a deserved and extraordinary victory—I look forward to continuing to work closely with you.”
According to election analyst Adrian Beaumont in Saturday’s Western Australian election, with 61% of enrolled voters counted, the ABC has projected Labor to win 40 of the 59 lower house seats, the Liberals 5, and the Nationals 4, with 10 still undecided.
Labor’s vote share stands at 41.8%, a significant drop of 18.1% from its 2021 landslide victory, while the Liberals have seen a 7.3% increase, reaching 28.6%. The Nationals gained 1.1%, now holding 5.1% of the vote, while smaller parties, such as the Greens (up 3.6% to 10.5%), One Nation (up 2.4% to 3.7%), Australian Christians (up 1.6% to 3.1%), and Legalise Cannabis (up 1.9% to 2.3%), have also seen gains. Independents increased by 2.9%, now holding 3.6%.
Despite Labor’s significant drop in primary votes since its 2021 win (59.9%), the loss hasn’t directly benefited the Liberals and Nationals, whose combined votes increased by 8.4%. The ABC’s two-party estimate shows Labor winning 58.3% of the vote, with the Liberals and Nationals at 41.7%, representing an 11.3% swing towards the opposition from the 2021 election’s 69.7% to 30.3% margin, which was a record win in Australian politics.
The overall result was never in doubt, but there were surprises throughout the night. Labor remained ahead in South Perth while retaining Bateman and Riverton, both traditionally conservative strongholds.
High-profile candidate Basil Zempilas narrowly won in Churchlands, defeating sitting Labor MP Christine Tonkin, while the Liberals reclaimed the blue-ribbon seat of Nedlands.
With this victory, the Liberals return as the official Opposition party, regaining the title lost to the Nationals after the 2021 Labor landslide left them with just two lower house seats. However, their anticipated gains failed to materialise, with only five seats confirmed, including Mettam’s seat of Vasse and Cottesloe, won by new candidate Sandra Brewer.
Liberal shadow energy spokesperson Steve Thomas admitted it was a “disastrous night” for the party.
“Massive change is required within the Liberal Party just to be competitive moving forward. That process needs to start immediately.”
The WA election was marred by voting mishaps, with reports of polling booths in Perth and Bunbury running out of ballot papers and staff shortages leaving some unable to vote. Hundreds queued outside booths as polls closed, though the WA Electoral Commission insisted no voter was denied the chance to cast their ballot.
The Greens also made gains, with MP Brad Pettitt declaring the party had achieved its “highest ever vote” at a state election.
As Western Australia’s political landscape continues to shift, Cook and his government now face the challenge of delivering on their promises while navigating an emboldened opposition and growing pressure from independent and Greens MPs.
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