One Nation inoculation leaves WA Liberals feeling sick

Who can run away from the WA Liberal-One Nation deal the fastest?

West Australians had one message for the Liberals on Saturday. Doctor Who, December 10, 1966:

Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!

And exterminated they were. The Australian website, yesterday:

Labor has stormed into power, on track to win an unprecedented 20 additional seats, while the Liberals look to have been reduced to 12 lower house MPs.

Our WA chief reporter Andrew Burrell on how the West was won. The Australian website, yesterday:

The “it’s time” factor killed the Barnett government after 8 ½ years. But serious questions will now have to be asked about the wisdom of the party’s preference-swap deal with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, which dogged Barnett right up until polling day.

Colin won’t be sending Pauline a Valentine’s card anytime soon. Joe Spagnolo in The Sunday Times, yesterday:

In the end, WA voters had one simple message for the Liberal Party: “We don’t like the company you keep.”

I have absolutely no doubt that a decision by the Liberals to get into bed with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation largely contributed to this bloodbath.

The deal was seen for what it was: Opportunistic and poor, poorly executed. It smacked of desperation. Worst, it left the Liberals a toothless tiger as Hanson sucked the life out of this election campaign.

Finance minister (and WA Liberal powerbroker) Mathias Cormann won’t take the blame for the One Nation deal. Insiders, yesterday:

These are judgments ultimately that are made on a case-by-case basis by relevant party organisations.

But Mathias did the deal ... The Australian, February 14, 2017:

Liberal sources in Perth said yesterday that Senator Cormann had been pivotal in securing the deal with One Nation and had been present on Saturday when the Liberal Party state executive voted unanimously to approve the arrangement. They said Senator Cormann, the most powerful Liberal powerbroker in WA, stepped in after the deal was “going nowhere” for several weeks. It is believed he met Senator Hanson at least once to hatch the agreement.

One Nation’s night? Not great, mate. Andrew Burrell on Twitter, yesterday:

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation will win only ONE seat in the upper house. Had hoped for 3 to 6 seats and balance of power.

And Hanson wasn’t going to allow the ABC to rain on her parade. ABC News online, Saturday:

The ABC has been refused entry to One Nation’s Western Australian election night headquarters after being told it was a private function.

What’s that, Pauline? It’s okay to ban journalists? Nah, can’t hear you ... nah, the line is bad ... Hanson on Sky News, Saturday:

This is not the first (time) I’ve denied media to a function. I did it in 1998 so it’s not the first and I’m sure it won’t be the last ... This is a really bad line, so I’m just going to say good night to the panel ...

Graham Richardson has worked out Pauline Hanson and it looks like the mob has too. Sky News, continued.

Completely delusional. ... She knows this is a bad night for her ... her supporters think that making a lot of noise will in some way make up for the very sad fact that they’ve done poorly. Noise is no substitute for results.