Liberals elected in landslide victory

Updated

Colin Barnett's Liberal-National alliance is celebrating a landslide victory in the Western Australian election, as the Labor Party begins recriminations over its "devastating" result.

At the close of counting on Saturday night, the Government was on track to win 40 of the 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly.

The ABC election computer predicts the Labor Party will finish with 19 seats, and some ALP figures are blaming the result on the unpopularity of the Gillard Government.

Election snapshot Premier Colin Barnett re-elected with an increased majority

Liberal/National alliance on track to win 40 seats as Labor reduced to 19

Recriminations begin as Labor figures blame federal party for loss

Visit WA Votes for Antony Green's breakdown of electorates

Look back at our live coverage of election night to see how the West was won

In his victory speech, Mr Barnett thanked the people of WA for their support, and congratulated his opponent Mark McGowan for what he called an energetic and competitive campaign.

"We may have achieved what seems to be a comfortable result but I assure you, it was not comfortable at all times through the election," he said.

We may have achieved what seems to be a comfortable result but I assure you, it was not comfortable at all times through the election. WA Premier Colin Barnett

"There was a real choice for the people of WA and I congratulate Mark on the campaign that he conducted.

"I also congratulate Brendon Grylls and the National Party on their success today and they have been wonderful partners in Government with the National and Liberal Party working together."

Mr Barnett promised to deliver good government for Western Australia over the next four years.

"This Government has been a good government," he said.

"We have been strong on the economy. We have been principled, we have been ethical, we have been hard-working and we have achieved for this state across cross a wide range of portfolios, strong on the economy, fantastic reforms in education and health.

"We have been a caring and compassionate government for those people most in need in our community and I restate that pledge to the people of WA."

Liberal swing

Mr McGowan was upbeat in defeat, and gave no indication he would step down as party leader.

"The truth of the matter is it was hard to win. We did our best in the circumstances that were presented to us and I think we did a good job," he said.

"I know that if we stay the course, WA Labor will come back, and be stronger than before ... as long as we stay the course and remember what we stand for."

The Liberals have won at least five seats from Labor - Balcatta, Collie-Preston, Forrestfield, Joondalup, Perth.

I think what the voters of the Pilbara wanted was someone that would stand up and have a fight for them. Nationals leader Brendon Grylls

They are also set to pick up Alfred Cove and Churchlands from independents and Warren-Blackwood from the Nationals, while the Nationals may take Eyre from the Liberals.

The Nationals also appear to have won Kalgoorlie and Pilbara, where their party leader Brendon Grylls stood after vacating his safe seat of the Central Wheatbelt.

"I think what the voters of the Pilbara wanted was someone that would stand up and have a fight for them," Mr Grylls said.

"The Nationals have shown in country WA we're prepared to get a blood nose to help country people get a fair share of government service and infrastructure delivery."

Labor has gained one seat from its opponents - the electorate of Fremantle which it lost to Adele Carles at a by-election in 2009.

The seats of Kimberley, Midland and Belmont, which are all held by Labor members, are still in doubt.

Labor devastated

Several Labor figures blamed the result on federal Labor's poor reputation in the state.

Former WA Labor minister Alannah MacTiernan said it had been a "devastating" night.

"I don't think there's any way you can put a gloss on that, it is an extraordinarily awful result," she told ABC Local Radio.

"I feel particularly sorry for Mark McGowan. I think he absolutely campaigned brilliantly... but I just think the problems are endemic. The Labor Party, I don't think we learnt anything from our loss in 2008.

You can't be a leader if people don't want you as a leader, and that unfortunately has to be a reality that our Prime Minister needs to take on board. Former Labor minister Alannah MacTiernan

"I think if you actually look at what we did in WA in the state, we didn't learn anything from that loss and we've seen that now compounded."

She warned the federal party may face a similar fate at the September poll unless Julia Gillard is dumped as Prime Minister.

"You can't be a leader if people don't want you as a leader, and that unfortunately has to be a reality that our Prime Minister needs to take on board," she said.

"You cannot go out doorknocking in Armadale and go out to the shopping centres in Forrestfield and Perth and get Labor people telling you that they'll vote for Labor this time at the state election but there's no way they'll vote for Labor federally. You can't ignore that."

The former Labor leader Eric Ripper, who is retiring, said the Gillard Government's lack of support in WA was damaging.

"Mark fought the election very clearly on state issues and I think a lot of electors can distinguish between state and federal issues," he said.

"Nevertheless, some don't and the unpopularity of the Federal Government in Western Australia must have played its part."

'Toxic brand'

The sentiment was echoed by the Federal Opposition's deputy leader, Julie Bishop, who said that under Ms Gillard, the Labor brand had become "toxic" in Western Australia.

"West Australians felt she'd declared war on this state with a mining tax, a carbon tax," she told ABC TV.

"The border protection issue is felt very strongly here, and also this recent declaration of war on overseas workers - 457 visa holders are very important to the West Australian economy."

Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne said anyone who tried to deny the result's federal implications was "living in a bubble".

"Labor's brand is toxic whether Julia Gillard leads them, Kevin Rudd leads them or Billl Shorten leads them," he said.

"The truth is that if they replace Julia Gillard again then they have the New South Wales Labor disease which is to replace the leader whenever they are in deep trouble."

There's no doubt that we have been a drag on Mark and there's no doubt that we haven't been helpful. We've got a range of tough political issues to work through between now and September. Federal Labor MP Stephen Smith

Federal Labor MP Stephen Smith said he hoped the party could bounce back before the federal poll.

"There's no doubt that we have been a drag on Mark and there's no doubt that we haven't been helpful," he said.

"We've got a range of tough political issues to work through between now and September. I've always been of the view when we have that election in September, it will go down to the wire."

But Gary Gray, the Federal Government's Special Minister for State, said the Prime Minister's role in the state election was being overstated.

"I visited 30 polling stations today. Not one person mentioned federal issues, not one, and I've knocked on doors too, not one person raised Julia Gillard," he said.

"Tonight is a night which is difficult for the Labor party and Alannah was extremely emotional ... but beyond the theatre and the management of an emotional outburst on election night there's a lot more thought and consideration for a government."

Topics: elections, states-and-territories, government-and-politics, alp, liberals, nationals, perth-6000, wa, australia

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