Secret Harbour win a signal perception of One Nation has ‘changed’: Joyce
Barnaby Joyce says the perception of One Nation has “dynamically changed” after the party clinched a historic victory in the Secret Harbour by-election.
One Nation’s Luke Herdegen claimed victory just after 9.30pm local time, with a 53.9 per cent to 46.1 per cent lead on a two-party preferred basis.
That represents a massive 17.5 per cent swing against Labor in a seat it won easily at the state election last year.
“The people of Secret Harbour have sent a message that will send shockwaves around the country,” Mr Herdegen said.
On Sunday, Mr Joyce said the win represented a seismic shift in Australia’s political landscape and the way people viewed politics.
“Politics has changed, and I think one of the takeaways from that is our actual poll is always higher than our online polls,” he told Sunday Agenda on News24.
One Nation, after a summer of unprecedented popularity, had taken a hit in the polls following leader Pauline Hanson’s polarising comments about multiculturalism and paid parental leave in her June National Press Club address.
Despite this, the populist party has continued to poll higher than the Coalition on a primary vote basis across a number of surveys.
Mr Joyce said One Nation’s Secret Harbour win meant people wanted a “more dynamic political market”.
“We’re not going to get hubristic, but we’re playing a good game and we’re going to continue to make sure that we improve so that we gain the respect of the people of Western Australia, the people of Victoria … (and) the people of NSW, and the people of Australia,” he said.
“I think, more and more, the dynamics of how One Nation is seen and the product that One Nation delivers, and the outcome that One Nation gets … has dynamically changed.”
Saturday’s by-election in the southern Perth seat was sparked by the resignation of long-serving Labor MP and former minister Paul Papalia.
Originally published as Secret Harbour win a signal perception of One Nation has ‘changed’: Joyce
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