Western Australian election live thread

A thread for discussion of the Western Australian election count as it unfolds.

A thread for discussion of the Western Australian election count as it unfolds. I won’t be offering my usual live blogging as I will be part of ABC Radio’s live coverage, along with federal Labor MP Gary Gray and Liberal Senator David Johnston. You will be able to follow this on News Radio or any local WA ABC station.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

189 comments on “Western Australian election live thread”

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  1. The Pilbara has voted in a bloke who doesn’t want to live there – don’t know how that will play over the next 4 years

  2. Bugler:

    In his dreams. I’ve got National party foundation stock among my lineage, and not one of them has any connections to the Pilbara. 😀

    It’s all NSW/Vic.

  3. Psephos and Confessions,

    I thought so. I wrote an essay on them in High School, and even my basic research skills didn’t find that. Scrounging around and I can’t find it at the moment, but I knew it was wrong.

  4. Well, the polls had it at 57-43 for months before the election, it got down to 55-45 and looks as though it is back where is started.

    Julie Bishop, in her usual snakey, loveable fashion baited Stephen Smith re the ‘federal implications’ but he was too much of a gentleman in not telling hatchet face where to shove it.

    Alannah McTiernan laid the blame on Julia too, so there you go. She has joined the “It’s all Julia’s fault” chorus.

    She virtually said Labor cannot win without Rudd coming back – I suppose she is referring to the West.

    That is bound to keep the Rudd talk going for months now. Gary Gray did his best to hose it down with reference to “emotional rather than rational behaviour” but it was noted her comments got applause from wherever she said it.

    Clearly the Messiah is being waited for in the West.

    The big disappointment was that Labor could not win Morley.

    Thank you John D junior for your love and affection.

    With just a one or two percent margin it will come back but that it could not be won this time is still a disappointment as it is a natural Labor seat.

    This election outcome has been on the cards for months and is of absolutely no surprise at all.

    We all know now that WA will be in perfect trim for the next four years – no worries.

  5. I have every confidence that Labor will win in 4 years. By then Sniffer will be Premier and Abbott will have wrecked the Liberal brand.

    Now tell me where I can hiberate for awhile

  6. I am not surprised by the result. In hindsight I don’t really understand why Labor didn’t make McTiernan leader instead if Ripper. McTiernan was both a competent administrator and a skilled politician. Labor hasn’t got so many of those that they can afford to be ignored.

    Federally, Labor needs to survive in Sydney, but it can’t afford to go backwards in WA either. Gillard can’t be blamed for this result, not having campaigned in WA. But equally she is not an asset there either. There is still hope in Victoria, but if eastern state polls don’t improve, then Federal Labor either needs to change leader, or start polishing their CVs.

  7. Interesting to see Frank Calabrese of Poll Bludger fame forecasting. Labor win by 1 today because Newspoll is basically rigged. Bob Ellis and others forecasting super close relying on a Nat alliance to keep governing.
    I expect plenty of poll Bludgers admittedly not those contributing to nigh offering similar calls right up until the day of the Federal election whenever that actually is in 2013.
    Why is Kevin Bonham not posting ( not interested in other states?)

  8. I commented earlier today that the WA government had done an effective planning exercise in Joondalup and Wanneroo and promised a freeway extension there, and should poll well. Sure enough they have won Joondalup.

    I wish Labor would concentrate on basic service provision better in eastern States, especially NSW. If they had done so, Sydney might still be winnable.

  9. [I have every confidence that Labor will win in 4 years.]

    Its a bit of pity you will have to live through the next four years then isn’t it?

  10. Frank Calabrese labelled me a Liberal troll for forecasting this win by the Liberals last year.

    Who cares what Frank thinks.

  11. [I have every confidence that Labor will win in 4 years.]
    I have equally little confidence that Labor will win any other election before then, except probably Vic State. SA State is a 50/50 chance, the rest are either lost or won’t be won back. Labor supporters who believe otherwise need to listen to why non-Labor supporters think right now, and remember that the majority of voters are in that category.

  12. Confessions

    You are not a Liberal troll. Some here have difficulty accepting reality. If I say the sun will rise tomorrow morning I am not a troll against lovers of the night. Ergo, Labor faces obvious defeats in the near future Federally and elsewhere. Singing Solidarity Forever won’t change that.

    The mood of some Labor supporter is depressingly reminiscent of the Romney campaign prior to the last US election. They dismissed all evidence of defeat

  13. Socrates:

    All I did was look at history. First term govts tend to be re-elected here. But first term minority govts (esp at state level) are re-elected with a majority. Add to this the obvious absence of desire for change in govt etc etc.

    WA Labor should’ve had MacTiernan as leader when Carpenter retired. Ripper was hopeless.

  14. Mr Squiggle

    [Its a bit of pity you will have to live through the next four years then isn’t it?]

    gee thanks for that Squiggle

  15. Psephos:

    Albany candidates: ALP, Lib, Nat, GRn, Family First, some christian fundie outfit.

    The ALP HTV card preferenced the fundie outfit and put the Libs last.

  16. Socrates

    [I am not surprised by the result. In hindsight I don’t really understand why Labor didn’t make McTiernan leader instead if Ripper. McTiernan was both a competent administrator and a skilled politician.]

    She didn’t have factional support -if she had she would have kept Labor competitive. Ripper was a disaster.

  17. Is it too late to bring Alannah back confessions?
    I like her, she’s ballsy.
    My god, Colin’s wife looks…..interesting.

  18. Well, to give it to the WA libs, that’s the first time for a long while that I’ve heard the assembled Liberal throng politely applaud when their victorious leader acknowledges his opponent.

  19. Alannah was pre selected for a federal seat in 2010. She lost – probably because Rudd was ousted and the vote went south.

  20. Hairy nose

    I understand about the factional support. But this illustrates the hole that the current factional system has fallen into. If McTiernan represents a chance of victory and factional candidates don’t, then the factions need to swallow their pride, elect the best leader, then negotiate the carve up of positions under them. There is no point electing factional candidates that cannot win, otherwise Labor is going to be a very long time in opposition.

  21. Well Socrates I agree absolutely. McTiernan was the most popular politician in WA – and yet Labor chose the one most on the nose.

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