Cook dismisses One Nation's ambition to form government in WA as 'hubris'

After by-election win, Herdegen sets sights on One Nation forming government in WA In short: One Nation's first MP in Western Australia says the party is preparing to stop Labor from winning another term at the next state election. The newly elected MP Luke Herdegen says there is a "huge shift" among voters in the state, which One Nation will use to "form a government in 2029". WA Premier Roger Cook has dismissed these comments as "arrogance" while saying Labor never took voters for granted. Fresh off winning One Nation's first seat in Western Australia's parliament, MP Luke Herdegen says his populist party has now set its sights on forming government at the 2029 state election, banking on what he called the beginnings of a "huge shift" in voters in this Labor stronghold. His claims were quickly shot down by WA Premier Roger Cook as "arrogance" and "hubris". But on the back of a massive 18.6 per cent swing against the Australian Labor Party at the by-election in Secret Harbour, a seat Labor held onto for almost 20 years, Mr Cook also promised to renew efforts to listen to the community, denying his team had become complacent after more than 10 years in power. Mr Herdegen told 102.5 ABC Perth that preparations were already underway within his party to develop policies to stop Labor from winning a fourth term in the 2029 election. "I think people are making smarter decisions now on who they do vote for," he said. "We've seen the beginning now of a huge shift, and I expect that momentum to keep going. "And we're certainly going to push that [Labor government] out heading into the next election and we'll be looking to form a government in 2029." One Nation WA Leader Rod Caddies also told 102.5 ABC Perth the by-election results showed voters had had enough of Labor. "This isn't just a protest vote. This is an actual shift," he said. 'Wake up' call Labor still dominates the Legislative Assembly, known as the lower house, with 45 seats. The Liberals hold seven seats, the Nationals six and One Nation now one. Mr Cook slapped down Mr Herdegen's projection for 2029. "That's the sort of arrogance that trips you up in this game," he said. "Hubris is usually served up with a double helping of humble pie when you go around with that sort of attitude." But South Australian Labor Premier Peter Malinauskas said it was time for his party to "wake up". "There is a movement here that has got momentum and we've got to make sure we're doing the right thing by whoever it is you're representing, in whatever state or whatever level of government," he said. "You've got to have a policy conviction and get on and do things, otherwise people will make you down for it." Cook doubles down Mr Cook said Labor treated the community with respect and never took voters for granted. "There's no complacency in my team. None at all," he said. Loading...Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas maintained the Liberals could do better. "Seventeen per cent [the Liberals' vote at the Secret Harbour by-election] is not at the numbers that we would want it to be at," he told 102.5 ABC Perth. "But we are very, very mindful that this is a by-election in a seat that we have never held and never done well in. "But do we want to increase our primary, of course we do." Mr Zempilas again denied the Liberals had run dead in the campaign, as suggested by WA federal Liberal Andrew Hastie, whose seat of Canning overlaps Secret Harbour and who will be vulnerable to One Nation's growth at the next federal election. Mr Herdegen easily won the by-election, with just over 57 per cent of the two-party preferred vote compared to almost 43 per cent for Labor candidate Georgia Tree, after 74.5 per cent of ballots were counted.