Liberal leader shrugs off One Nation surge in WA and blames voter confusion over Federal politics

Opposition MPs put on a brave face on Tuesday and blamed colleagues in Canberra for polling that showed a resurgent One Nation has wiped out the WA Liberals’ post-election gains.

Support for Pauline Hanson’s party has surged to 17 per cent in WA, close to overtaking the Liberal’s primary vote that slumped to 21 per cent - or equal to the 2021 election result that left the party with just two seats.

Liberal Leader Basil Zempilas insisted he’s not worried and blamed voter confusion with Federal issues.

“I would accept that sometimes people struggle when we’re not closer to the election window, struggle to differentiate the Federal political scene and the State political scene,” he said.

“Our job is always to remind people who we’re here for, who we are representing, the issues we’re representing, on housing, health and household stress, and who it is that we’re taking the fight up to, and that’s WA Labor.”

The poll, that was self-commissioned by DemosAU and first reported by The West Australian, showed Mr Zempilas trailing Roger Cook by 13 points as preferred Premier.

Mr Cook’s popularity dipped only slightly for a net +6 rating, compared to Mr Zempilas stuck on -3.

Outside Parliament on Tuesday, the Churchlands MP said he’s got plenty of time to close the gap before the next election in 2029.

“He (Roger Cook) would be worried about that, not even 12 months in the job, only 13 points behind, woo hoo, giddy up,” he said.

Support for the Nationals dipped to four per cent, but Shane Love said he was confident his party can withstand the trend towards One Nation in the bush.

“Parties have to have coherent policies to present at the election,” the Nationals Leader said.

“One Nation doesn’t have a history of being very strong on the ground and providing those sort of policy platforms at a State level.”

His colleagues agreed, days after Mr Love declared his intention to lead the party to 2029.

“We’ve seen minor political parties, issue based political parties, come and go in this State, the National Party have a long and proud track record in Western Australia,” Nationals Whip Lachlan Hunter said.

“I’ll be watching with interest, but I’m not too concerned,” Roe MP Peter Rundle said.

Premier Roger Cook wasn’t concerned that his deputy, Rita Saffioti, is apparently trailing Mr Zempilas in the popularity stakes.

“I know it’s entertaining, and I know it gives cause or rise for conversations, but we’re just focused on delivering for Western Australians, focused on jobs, health and housing,” he said.

But Labor MP’s were privately relieved that for Labor’s new ban on commercial fishing of dhufish and pink snapper, after 43 per cent of surveyed voters supported the tough stance and only 33 per cent were opposed to it.

“We don’t do these things to be popular. We do them because they’re the right thing to do,” Mr Cook said.