Federal Election 2022 Western Australia results: Labor breaks Libs’ stranglehold on WA

Labor has won the WA seat of Pearce for the first time in 31 years and has also unseated Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt in Hasluck.

Labor Leader Anthony Albanese meets with Mayor Tracey Roberts, Labor's candidate for Pearce, in Perth during the final week of the campaign. Picture: Getty Images

The Liberal Party is at risk of being all but wiped out of metropolitan Perth in a stunning vindication of Labor’s campaign strategy.

Labor had needed to claw two WA seats off the Liberals to have any hope of forming a majority government but is instead looks certain to have won at least three and could claim up to five. The Liberals’ safest WA seat, the blue-ribbon electorate of Curtin in Perth’s wealthy western suburbs, also looks likely to fall to teal independent Kate Chaney.

After winning 11 of 16 Federal seats at the 2019 election, the Liberals could be left with as few as four. Only one of those, Andrew Hastie’s seat of Canning, covers any part of the Perth metropolitan area.

Labor took a new approach to the campaign in WA this election, choosing to host its official campaign launch in Perth and ceding control over advertising in WA to the state party branch. WA premier Mark McGowan also featured prominently in much of the party’s advertising and materials.

Among those at risk of losing their seats is Ben Morton, the minister assisting the Prime Minister and cabinet.

Mr Morton told 6PR radio that it was “looking a bit difficult” in Tangney.

“I think there’s enormous amount of numbers to be counted in terms of pre poll and postal votes and we will wait for them to be counted.”

Election placards for Hasluck MP Ken Wyatt are seen in Mundaring, WA. Picture: Getty Images

Labor’s victory in the seat of Pearce is a first for the party in 31 years, with Tracey Roberts, the mayor of the City of Wanneroo, comfortably defeating Liberal Linda Aitken in the battle to replace former attorney general Christian Porter.

Labor is also set to gain Swan, Pearce and Hasluck, while the Liberals’ safest seat in WA, the blue-ribbon electorate of Curtin, looks set to fall to teal independent Kate Chaney.

Ms Roberts said she was honoured and emotional.

“For somebody who can talk under wet concrete, I am speechless,” she said.

Mr Wyatt, the first Indigenous Australian elevated to Federal cabinet, told supporters “don’t be sad” after an emphatic loss in the sprawling Perth seat he had held for 12 years.

The 69-year-old was embraced by his wife Anna after a private speech to Liberals at an events hall at the rear of the Crooked Spire coffee shop in the northeastern Perth suburb of Midland.

Mr Wyatt’s staff ejected media from the event before the Indigenous Australians minister arrived to concede defeat.

He told the crowd he was proud to have been the first Indigenous Australian elected to the House of Representatives and he opened the door to others.

“He told us ‘don’t be sad’ because he is very grateful for the past 12 years,” one female supporter told The Australian outside.

Mr Wyatt chose to avoid waiting media outside the venue. He did not want to speak publicly on Saturday night, Liberals at the event said.

Businesswoman Tania Lawrence has won Hasluck for Labor with a predicted swing of 11.2 per cent.

Labor’s Zaneta Mascarenhas was also well ahead in the Liberal-held seat of Swan, while Labor’s Tom French was on track to defeat Liberal incumbent Ian Goodenough.