Federal election 2025: Wave of red washes over WA as Labor flattens the once influential Liberal power base
A wave of red has washed over WA, with Labor flattening the once influential Liberal power base.
Labor's win in the northern Perth seat of Moore and a potential victory in the new seat of Bullwinkel could be a knockout blow for the Liberals in the Perth metropolitan area.
It's a mighty fall from just 12 years ago, when the all-conquering Liberals held nearly every seat in the State.
At the 2013 Federal election prominent Liberals in WA included Julie Bishop, who had a healthy margin in Curtin and was deputy leader of the Liberal Party, Christian Porter and Mathias Cormann.
Fast forward to 2025 and the Liberals now have just four seats, with Bullwinkel still to be decided.
It's part of a shift towards Labor at all levels, with Roger Cook's Government earning a momentous victory at the State election in March.
WA was historically a Coalition stronghold at the Federal level before the 2020s, especially during the John Howard years, with Labor's presence primarily confined to inner-metropolitan areas like Fremantle and Perth.
While Labor made some gains in the 2000s during the Rudd-Gillard era, the State's sharp shift began in 2022, when the Liberals lost five seats — four to Labor and one to independent Kate Chaney in the once-safe Liberal seat of Curtin.
Perth MP Patrick Gorman attributed the transformation to the party listening to WA's needs and doing 'practical things that help Western Australians', such as support for energy bills, free TAFE, and tax cuts.
'We've definitely seen a shift. We've seen really strong support for Labor under Anthony Albanese at the last two elections,' Mr Gorman said.
'We've shown respect to the people of Western Australia. We've also put forward really excellent candidates.'
The Prime Minister has also been on a charm offensive in the west, visiting 10 times in a year, bringing Cabinet here, making Brand MP Madeleine King Resources Minister, and launching his 2022 and 2025 election campaigns in Perth.
An insider said Labor's rise was due to a blend of State popularity, Federal strategy and Coalition decline.
They said the Party had managed to find a sweet spot for broad-based appeal by 'winning from the centre'. As a centre-left party, the insider believed focusing on social policies like health care and education while also embracing economically responsibility was reaching more voters in the centre.
Wildly popular former WA premier Mark McGowan's more centrist approach proved popular from 2017 onwards, but the insider said the Federal Labor Party only began to embrace this after Bill Shorten's 2019 election loss.
However, the Liberals grew more conservative under Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton after the more moderate Malcolm Turnbull was turfed out in 2018.
The party has increasingly seemed out of touch with some voters, in particular young voters, have been fractured by internal dysfunction, and deserted by women and moderates.
'We've also seen the Liberal Party really lose touch with Western Australians,' Mr Gorman said.
'One of their senators, Linda Reynolds, said yesterday that they had lost touch with mainstream Australian values. I think that analysis tells you a lot.'
Mr Gorman said he looked forward to welcoming Labor's new Moore MP Tom French to Canberra on Friday.
He remained tight-lipped on whether WA could hope to secure a second Cabinet position after the State's increased representation.
A Labor insider, however, said it was unlikely the State would get another spot in Cabinet, with Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia also delivering more seats.
Ms King is the only WA-based minister in Federal Cabinet, overseeing critical portfolios tied to WA's mining and regional development sectors.
Burt MP Matt Keogh and Cowan MP Anne Aly are in the outer ministry, and Mr Gorman is an assistant minister to the PM.
'I probably wish that the majority of the Cabinet were West Australians,' Mr Gorman laughed, when asked about its make-up and whether it would be back in WA.
'The Prime Minister decides where Cabinet meets. I'll just note that the Prime Minister has on a number of occasions chosen to hold cabinet in Perth and hold it in Port Hedland. And twice now he's chosen to launch the Federal campaign here in WA. And I think we saw the benefits of that in the results we saw on Saturday night.'
Asked if he had Cabinet ambitions, Mr Gorman said he had 'ambitions for the country'.
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The Advertiser
42 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Premier stands by stadium as early state election looms
A defiant Jeremy Rockliff has vowed to fight and win an early Tasmanian election, after political brinkmanship with Opposition Leader Dean Winter spiralled in parliament and produced a shock snap poll. It's not yet clear when the election will fall, with Mr Rockliff seeking to convene parliament next week to pass an emergency budget bill. Also caught up in the chaos is the billion-dollar Hobart waterfront stadium, and by extension the Tasmania Devils AFL team. After two days of lengthy debate, Mr Rockliff lost a no-confidence motion in parliament on Thursday, which by convention demands his resignation. Before the vote, he told Mr Winter, the Labor leader, that should the vote succeed, he would seek an election - just 15 months after the last state poll. "Be that on Mr Winter's head. This has been a selfish grab for power," he said on Thursday morning. Pointing to last month's budget - which forecast big deficits and ballooning debt beyond $10 billion - Mr Winter chose to stand behind his motion, unmoved by either public advocacy or behind-closed-doors efforts to talk him down. "Tasmanians were aghast at the state of the budget," Mr Winter said. "I can't stand by and let this premier ruin this state and so Tasmanian Labor needs to stand up." The vote passed 18-17, with Labor, the Greens and three independents backing the motion, including a casting vote by Labor veteran Michelle O'Byrne as speaker. Shell-shocked, Mr Rockliff then took the floor to deliver an emotion-laden speech. "This is a very sad day for Tasmania," he said. "It's a sad day because I put a lot of line, a lot on the line, for this parliament." He said he fought off internal opponents to both stand by the stadium, and to get electoral reform over the line. "I've been advised by all the hard-heads in my party not to go down that track. Why? Because it's bad for votes," he said. "Well, I've always said 'stuff votes'. "I've said it when I moved for the 35-seat house of parliament, and I'll say it for the stadium for as long as I damn well live, because I believe in it." He apologised for the botched rollout of new Spirit of Tasmania ferries and acknowledged economic challenges - but said he was up for the fight. "And you might get rid of me, mate," he said, directly to Mr Winter, "but I tell you what, they're coming for you as well, because you will always be known as a wrecker." While there will be plenty of time for campaigning in the upcoming poll, the dominant reaction among Tasmanians appears to be shock. Among those flabbergasted by the sharp escalation of politicking was former premier Will Hodgman. "An implausibly stupid decision on so many levels," the two-time election winner posted on social media. "Politically reckless, and seriously damaging to Tasmania's reputation." Brad Stansfield, a member of Mr Hodgman's staff and long-term Liberal campaigner, who now runs a PR company, said the political environment would be toxic for Mr Rockliff. "If we do end up at the point where there is an election, just to be brutally frank, the Liberals would be annihilated," he told the FontCast. A defiant Jeremy Rockliff has vowed to fight and win an early Tasmanian election, after political brinkmanship with Opposition Leader Dean Winter spiralled in parliament and produced a shock snap poll. It's not yet clear when the election will fall, with Mr Rockliff seeking to convene parliament next week to pass an emergency budget bill. Also caught up in the chaos is the billion-dollar Hobart waterfront stadium, and by extension the Tasmania Devils AFL team. After two days of lengthy debate, Mr Rockliff lost a no-confidence motion in parliament on Thursday, which by convention demands his resignation. Before the vote, he told Mr Winter, the Labor leader, that should the vote succeed, he would seek an election - just 15 months after the last state poll. "Be that on Mr Winter's head. This has been a selfish grab for power," he said on Thursday morning. Pointing to last month's budget - which forecast big deficits and ballooning debt beyond $10 billion - Mr Winter chose to stand behind his motion, unmoved by either public advocacy or behind-closed-doors efforts to talk him down. "Tasmanians were aghast at the state of the budget," Mr Winter said. "I can't stand by and let this premier ruin this state and so Tasmanian Labor needs to stand up." The vote passed 18-17, with Labor, the Greens and three independents backing the motion, including a casting vote by Labor veteran Michelle O'Byrne as speaker. Shell-shocked, Mr Rockliff then took the floor to deliver an emotion-laden speech. "This is a very sad day for Tasmania," he said. "It's a sad day because I put a lot of line, a lot on the line, for this parliament." He said he fought off internal opponents to both stand by the stadium, and to get electoral reform over the line. "I've been advised by all the hard-heads in my party not to go down that track. Why? Because it's bad for votes," he said. "Well, I've always said 'stuff votes'. "I've said it when I moved for the 35-seat house of parliament, and I'll say it for the stadium for as long as I damn well live, because I believe in it." He apologised for the botched rollout of new Spirit of Tasmania ferries and acknowledged economic challenges - but said he was up for the fight. "And you might get rid of me, mate," he said, directly to Mr Winter, "but I tell you what, they're coming for you as well, because you will always be known as a wrecker." While there will be plenty of time for campaigning in the upcoming poll, the dominant reaction among Tasmanians appears to be shock. Among those flabbergasted by the sharp escalation of politicking was former premier Will Hodgman. "An implausibly stupid decision on so many levels," the two-time election winner posted on social media. "Politically reckless, and seriously damaging to Tasmania's reputation." Brad Stansfield, a member of Mr Hodgman's staff and long-term Liberal campaigner, who now runs a PR company, said the political environment would be toxic for Mr Rockliff. "If we do end up at the point where there is an election, just to be brutally frank, the Liberals would be annihilated," he told the FontCast. A defiant Jeremy Rockliff has vowed to fight and win an early Tasmanian election, after political brinkmanship with Opposition Leader Dean Winter spiralled in parliament and produced a shock snap poll. It's not yet clear when the election will fall, with Mr Rockliff seeking to convene parliament next week to pass an emergency budget bill. Also caught up in the chaos is the billion-dollar Hobart waterfront stadium, and by extension the Tasmania Devils AFL team. After two days of lengthy debate, Mr Rockliff lost a no-confidence motion in parliament on Thursday, which by convention demands his resignation. Before the vote, he told Mr Winter, the Labor leader, that should the vote succeed, he would seek an election - just 15 months after the last state poll. "Be that on Mr Winter's head. This has been a selfish grab for power," he said on Thursday morning. Pointing to last month's budget - which forecast big deficits and ballooning debt beyond $10 billion - Mr Winter chose to stand behind his motion, unmoved by either public advocacy or behind-closed-doors efforts to talk him down. "Tasmanians were aghast at the state of the budget," Mr Winter said. "I can't stand by and let this premier ruin this state and so Tasmanian Labor needs to stand up." The vote passed 18-17, with Labor, the Greens and three independents backing the motion, including a casting vote by Labor veteran Michelle O'Byrne as speaker. Shell-shocked, Mr Rockliff then took the floor to deliver an emotion-laden speech. "This is a very sad day for Tasmania," he said. "It's a sad day because I put a lot of line, a lot on the line, for this parliament." He said he fought off internal opponents to both stand by the stadium, and to get electoral reform over the line. "I've been advised by all the hard-heads in my party not to go down that track. Why? Because it's bad for votes," he said. "Well, I've always said 'stuff votes'. "I've said it when I moved for the 35-seat house of parliament, and I'll say it for the stadium for as long as I damn well live, because I believe in it." He apologised for the botched rollout of new Spirit of Tasmania ferries and acknowledged economic challenges - but said he was up for the fight. "And you might get rid of me, mate," he said, directly to Mr Winter, "but I tell you what, they're coming for you as well, because you will always be known as a wrecker." While there will be plenty of time for campaigning in the upcoming poll, the dominant reaction among Tasmanians appears to be shock. Among those flabbergasted by the sharp escalation of politicking was former premier Will Hodgman. "An implausibly stupid decision on so many levels," the two-time election winner posted on social media. "Politically reckless, and seriously damaging to Tasmania's reputation." Brad Stansfield, a member of Mr Hodgman's staff and long-term Liberal campaigner, who now runs a PR company, said the political environment would be toxic for Mr Rockliff. "If we do end up at the point where there is an election, just to be brutally frank, the Liberals would be annihilated," he told the FontCast. A defiant Jeremy Rockliff has vowed to fight and win an early Tasmanian election, after political brinkmanship with Opposition Leader Dean Winter spiralled in parliament and produced a shock snap poll. It's not yet clear when the election will fall, with Mr Rockliff seeking to convene parliament next week to pass an emergency budget bill. Also caught up in the chaos is the billion-dollar Hobart waterfront stadium, and by extension the Tasmania Devils AFL team. After two days of lengthy debate, Mr Rockliff lost a no-confidence motion in parliament on Thursday, which by convention demands his resignation. Before the vote, he told Mr Winter, the Labor leader, that should the vote succeed, he would seek an election - just 15 months after the last state poll. "Be that on Mr Winter's head. This has been a selfish grab for power," he said on Thursday morning. Pointing to last month's budget - which forecast big deficits and ballooning debt beyond $10 billion - Mr Winter chose to stand behind his motion, unmoved by either public advocacy or behind-closed-doors efforts to talk him down. "Tasmanians were aghast at the state of the budget," Mr Winter said. "I can't stand by and let this premier ruin this state and so Tasmanian Labor needs to stand up." The vote passed 18-17, with Labor, the Greens and three independents backing the motion, including a casting vote by Labor veteran Michelle O'Byrne as speaker. Shell-shocked, Mr Rockliff then took the floor to deliver an emotion-laden speech. "This is a very sad day for Tasmania," he said. "It's a sad day because I put a lot of line, a lot on the line, for this parliament." He said he fought off internal opponents to both stand by the stadium, and to get electoral reform over the line. "I've been advised by all the hard-heads in my party not to go down that track. Why? Because it's bad for votes," he said. "Well, I've always said 'stuff votes'. "I've said it when I moved for the 35-seat house of parliament, and I'll say it for the stadium for as long as I damn well live, because I believe in it." He apologised for the botched rollout of new Spirit of Tasmania ferries and acknowledged economic challenges - but said he was up for the fight. "And you might get rid of me, mate," he said, directly to Mr Winter, "but I tell you what, they're coming for you as well, because you will always be known as a wrecker." While there will be plenty of time for campaigning in the upcoming poll, the dominant reaction among Tasmanians appears to be shock. Among those flabbergasted by the sharp escalation of politicking was former premier Will Hodgman. "An implausibly stupid decision on so many levels," the two-time election winner posted on social media. "Politically reckless, and seriously damaging to Tasmania's reputation." Brad Stansfield, a member of Mr Hodgman's staff and long-term Liberal campaigner, who now runs a PR company, said the political environment would be toxic for Mr Rockliff. "If we do end up at the point where there is an election, just to be brutally frank, the Liberals would be annihilated," he told the FontCast.
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
Chalmers has earned the right to snub the Coalition, but here's why he shouldn't
Jim Chalmers slammed the door shut this week on doing a deal with the Coalition on tax changes to superannuation. The treasurer is perfectly entitled to thumb his nose at the opposition. Labor first announced these tax changes last term, the government took them to the election, and it then secured a thumping majority on May 3. But Chalmers is making a mistake. The much-depleted Coalition has not yet decided whether it plans to be constructive, in a legislative sense, in this second term on the opposition benches, or whether it will continue with the monomaniacal impulse to say 'no' to most proposals. Chalmers could not agree to the Coalition's twin requests – that the tax change be indexed so that over time the impost does not affect more than the initial estimate of 80,000 people and second, that the tax would not apply to unrealised capital gains (such as a family farm or an expensive artwork) held by an individual's self-managed super fund. Instead, the treasurer has chosen to negotiate with the Greens, who also want tweaks, but who are much more likely to eventually pass the tax in its original form. So, notwithstanding the huffing and puffing from the opposition and some in the more conservative sections of the media, this debate is likely to end up with Chalmers getting his way and securing the new tax – which raises the tax rate to 30 per cent on superannuation balances over $3 million – in its unamended form. The treasurer's mistake is not so much in not compromising on the detail with the Coalition (arguments can be made for and against the proposed changes). Rather, it's in the signal sent to the Coalition about how he intends to negotiate in the coming term of parliament. Chalmers' PhD, Brawler Statesman, was written about Labor's legendary former treasurer and prime minister, Paul Keating and how the one-time member for Blaxland implemented and then bedded down ambitious and necessary economic reform over more than a decade. Keating's record of reform (backed by Bob Hawke) is part of political folklore now – he floated the Australian dollar, opened up the economy, reduced tariffs, welcomed foreign banks, privatised major government-owned companies such as Qantas and more.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Chalmers has earned the right to snub the Coalition, but here's why he shouldn't
Jim Chalmers slammed the door shut this week on doing a deal with the Coalition on tax changes to superannuation. The treasurer is perfectly entitled to thumb his nose at the opposition. Labor first announced these tax changes last term, the government took them to the election, and it then secured a thumping majority on May 3. But Chalmers is making a mistake. The much-depleted Coalition has not yet decided whether it plans to be constructive, in a legislative sense, in this second term on the opposition benches, or whether it will continue with the monomaniacal impulse to say 'no' to most proposals. Chalmers could not agree to the Coalition's twin requests – that the tax change be indexed so that over time the impost does not affect more than the initial estimate of 80,000 people and second, that the tax would not apply to unrealised capital gains (such as a family farm or an expensive artwork) held by an individual's self-managed super fund. Instead, the treasurer has chosen to negotiate with the Greens, who also want tweaks, but who are much more likely to eventually pass the tax in its original form. So, notwithstanding the huffing and puffing from the opposition and some in the more conservative sections of the media, this debate is likely to end up with Chalmers getting his way and securing the new tax – which raises the tax rate to 30 per cent on superannuation balances over $3 million – in its unamended form. The treasurer's mistake is not so much in not compromising on the detail with the Coalition (arguments can be made for and against the proposed changes). Rather, it's in the signal sent to the Coalition about how he intends to negotiate in the coming term of parliament. Chalmers' PhD, Brawler Statesman, was written about Labor's legendary former treasurer and prime minister, Paul Keating and how the one-time member for Blaxland implemented and then bedded down ambitious and necessary economic reform over more than a decade. Keating's record of reform (backed by Bob Hawke) is part of political folklore now – he floated the Australian dollar, opened up the economy, reduced tariffs, welcomed foreign banks, privatised major government-owned companies such as Qantas and more.
