Key Points
- West Australian Labor has held former premier Mark McGowan's seat in a by-election.
- The by-election was viewed as a test of new premier Roger Cook's leadership.
- McGowan's replacement, Magenta Marshall polled 49.41 per cent of the vote.
West Australian Premier Roger Cook is playing down a swing away from Labor in the wake of his government comfortably retaining the seat of Rockingham in Perth's south.
Labor strategist Magenta Marshall cruised to victory in the Rockingham by-election, triggered by the retirement of former premier Mark McGowan, after polling 49.41 per cent of the primary vote.
With a little over 22,000 votes counted late on Saturday, Labor was headed toward a two-party preferred vote of 65.2 per cent.
That represents a 22.5 per cent fall in support from when McGowan was re-elected in 2021 amid his popularity soaring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Roger Cook plays down election swing
McGowan's successor said he was proud of the "solid result" and Labor hadn't taken anything for granted, running a local campaign focused on cost of living, housing and schools.
"There is no such thing as a safe seat," Cook told reporters on Sunday.
"You have to continue to work, you have to be humble, you have to listen to the community and you have to make sure you work hard to receive their trust."
Liberal Party candidate Peter Hudson, who campaigned on crime, health care and inflationary pressures, had polled 17.73 per cent of the primary vote when counting stopped on Saturday night.
WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam said the more than 30 per cent plunge in Labor's primary vote showed people were fed up with the government.
"(Saturday's) result should be a wake-up call for WA Labor and the Cook Labor government that the community expects better and deserves more," she said.
"As an opposition, we will continue to hold this arrogant Labor government to account to ensure they deliver on the many promises made to the people of Rockingham during this campaign."
Cook wouldn't be drawn on the opposition's claim.
"I'll leave the Liberal Party to their own observations," he said.
"They didn't have a great night."
Marshall unfazed
Marshall was preselected as Labor's candidate over Rockingham deputy mayor Hayley Edwards, who ran against her as an independent and has so far polled 16.01 per cent of first-preference votes.
Marshall becomes the first woman elected to the seat of Rockingham and the youngest member of state parliament.
Rockingham is a coastal community about 50 kilometres south of Perth city, with some 30,000 voters registered.
Marshall was unfazed by the swing against her and Labor staring down its worst primary vote in the seat for more than two decades.
"I never expected to have the same amount of support that Mark did after nearly 30 years in the seat so I'm really proud of the result," she said.
Marshall said she had no ambition to join the ministerial ranks of the Cook government or become premier "at this point".
Controversial Aboriginal heritage laws, the rising cost of living and housing shortages added to Labor's woes in the run-up to the by-election, which was viewed as a test of Cook and Mettam's leaderships.
Marshall thanked voters for placing their trust in her and McGowan for his 26 years of service as the member for Rockingham.
"He has left a strong legacy here and many people have reminded me I do have big shoe's to fill," she said.
