One Nation has claimed a breakthrough victory in the Secret Harbour byelection, shattering Labor’s grip on what was considered one of its safest seats in Western Australia. With more than two-thirds of ballots tallied, candidate Luke Herdegen surged ahead with 57 percent of the vote after preferences, leaving Labor’s Georgia Tree trailing on 42 percent. The result, confirmed late Saturday evening, has sent tremors through political circles in Canberra and beyond.
The coastal electorate, nestled south of Perth, had been held firmly by Labor for years—until now. Senior minister Paul Papalia’s sudden mid-term retirement triggered the byelection, and voters delivered a damning verdict on his former party.
One Nation’s state leader Rod Caddies was defiant as he claimed victory at 9:30pm local time. The party would send “shock waves across the entire country,” he declared, insisting no Labor seat was safe in Western Australia or anywhere else in Australia.
A Battle Scarred by Cost of Living Anger
For months, One Nation operatives worked the beachside suburb, sensing frustration simmering beneath the surface. They weren’t wrong. Voters at polling stations spoke of little else but soaring living costs, a housing squeeze, and a feeling that neither Labor nor the Liberal opposition truly represented them.
Local resident and Qantas flight attendant Luke Pors put One Nation first on his ballot. He believed the party offered something the major parties could not.
“They’re like a home buddy, and obviously a youngie—we can really connect with him,” Pors said, referring to Herdegen. “We know what their true goal is, and I think just in One Nation we trust.”
Retirees Ann and Les Scard voted the same way. Les described Herdegen’s campaign as “pretty strong” and said the candidate deserved his chance in parliament. His wife Ann shrugged off concerns about One Nation’s controversial immigration stance.
“I agree with a lot of what Pauline Hanson says,” she said. “Something has to be done, it’s just all askew.”
Herdegen Rides Wave of Discontent
Herdegen himself addressed supporters amid a sea of orange—the party’s signature colour that had dominated polling booths across the electorate.
“The vibe has been really strong for the last six weeks,” he said, acknowledging the mood shift. “They’re struggling with cost of living; there’s a major housing issue here with the mass immigration coming through and people have just had enough.”
The 27-year-old candidate tapped into something visceral. His youth, his local roots, and his party’s blunt messaging on immigration resonated with voters exhausted by political platitudes.
Yet not everyone was convinced. Retired truck driver Dean Maxwell placed One Nation last on his ballot.
“I didn’t vote for One Nation, I put them last,” he said. “I just don’t see any good policy. I don’t like any of the pollies but I particularly don’t like Pauline Hanson. I think she’s in Gina Rinehart’s pocket.”
What the Result Means for the Major Parties
WA Premier Roger Cook refused to concede defeat outright, insisting Labor would fight until every vote was counted. But he acknowledged the fight ahead.
“It would break my heart,” Cook admitted when pressed on the possibility of losing the seat. “By-elections bring up all kinds of opportunities for a whole range of issues to impact on the seat.”
The implications stretch far beyond Western Australia. One Nation’s triumph in a seat that should have been Labor’s to lose exposes vulnerabilities in the major parties’ dominance. Political analysts will be watching closely, particularly with Victoria heading to the polls in November.
Why it Matters
The fall of Secret Harbour represents more than a single seat swinging to an insurgent party—it signals a profound shift in Australia’s political landscape. One Nation’s ability to penetrate Labor’s traditional heartland suggests that cost-of-living anxieties and immigration concerns are reshaping voter loyalties at a scale not seen in decades. For major parties accustomed to treating outer-suburban seats as fortresses, this result is a wake-up call. Whether One Nation can translate Saturday’s victory into sustained power remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Australian politics will never look quite the same.
