One Nation’s Secret Harbour byelection win shows Labor is at a loss when it comes to calming angry voters | Analysis

Even after a week in which Pauline Hanson and One Nation candidates tripped over themselves trying to explain key policies, voters still backed the party Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The One Nation hype machine went into overdrive after Saturday’s Secret Harbour byelection but one thing is clear from the thumping victory. Despite the party’s sustained surge in public support, Labor and the Coalition still don’t have any idea how to calm an angry electorate and dint support for Pauline Hanson and her insurgent movement. Even before One Nation’s Luke Herdegen was confirmed as having easily defeated Labor’s Georgia Tree in the suburban Western Australia seat previously held by Labor, One Nation’s WA leader, Rod Caddies, declared there were “no safe Labor seats in this state or in this country any more”. By Sunday morning, Nationals defector Barnaby Joyce said “politics has changed” in favour of One Nation, even claiming the polls were underplaying One Nation’s support nationally. The party was on track for a swing towards it of more than 20% against Labor in the beachside electorate, a result Hanson said revealed deep-seated and gro