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One Nation Triumph Sends Shockwaves Through WA Politics
Luke Herdegen led One Nation to 53.9% on a two-party preferred basis, giving the party its first lower-house seat in Western Australia.
- On Saturday, August 29, 2026, One Nation candidate Luke Herdegen won the Secret Harbour by-election, securing the party's first-ever lower house seat in Western Australia.
- Triggered by the July resignation of former Corrective Services minister Paul Papalia, the by-election challenged Labor's grip on a seat it won convincingly in 2025.
- By 10:30 pm, with 80 per cent of the vote counted, Herdegen amassed a 39 per cent primary vote, ahead of Labor candidate Georgia Tree's 24.4 per cent and Liberal candidate Ryan Robertson's 17.3 per cent.
- WA Premier Roger Cook conceded the seat, stating his government must not "shirk the message" from voters, while One Nation leader Rod Caddies introduced Herdegen as the "next member for Secret Harbour."
- Political analysts view the result as a litmus test for national cost-of-living concerns in outer suburban seats, as One Nation vows to carry this momentum into the looming Victorian state election.
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21 Articles
21 Articles
‘World Has Changed’: One Nation Stuns Labor With Historic By-Election Victory in Western Australia
WA One Nation candidate for Secret Harbour Luke Herdegen is seen at the Coastal Lakes College Polling Place in Perth, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left6Leaning Right5Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Left
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Left
40% Left
L 40%
C 27%
R 33%
Factuality
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