Labor Party Worried About One Nation's Rise After Paul Papalia's Departure

Analysis of the situation

The topic is about state and territory government

It happened on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at 8:59 am

Paul Papalia announced his retirement after a long time of speculation

History often repeats itself in politics, and the WA Labor party hopes this will happen in the upcoming by-election, which is happening while One Nation's support is increasing

Paul Papalia, a long-time WA Labor member, is resigning to care for a sick family member, which is causing problems for the party's plans

After praising Papalia's 19 years in parliament, Premier Roger Cook said the by-election in Secret Harbour will be very tough

Labor has been in this situation before in the same area, when Papalia first entered parliament in 2007 after a by-election

It could have made people dislike Labor, but Papalia won the seat with only primary votes

Paul Papalia and Premier Roger Cook hugged after Papalia's retirement speech

Papalia remembered being asked to run by former Premier Mark McGowan, who gave him only 24 hours to decide

Papalia said there was an expectation that the government would lose the by-election, but they won

The seat has been safe for Labor since then, but politics has changed

A small country town recently became a place where One Nation has a lot of support

Papalia said people think you're a bad person if you disagree with them, no matter what side you're on

He and Cook think One Nation is taking advantage of the more divided political situation

Cook said Labor is the safe choice and puts Western Australians first

People are unsure about what to do

In Secret Harbour, local resident Jackie Christiansen said Papalia had a lot of support

Jackie Christiansen wants the next MP to focus on homelessness and law enforcement

She said Papalia has to have a home life too and has done a lot for the community

She hopes the next MP will help people in need

The days of Paul Papalia's name on the electorate office are numbered

Another local, Richard Martin, hopes One Nation can win and bring change

He wants lower government spending and taxes, but also has negative views about some groups

Richard Martin thinks One Nation can offer a change

He said people work hard but don't know what to do, and feel left behind

Political analyst Martin Drum said how candidates handle local issues will be key

He said anything can happen in the by-election, and the area is very unpredictable

One Nation is confident

One Nation's WA leader, Rod Caddies, said they will definitely run a candidate

Rod Caddies is confident about One Nation's chances in Secret Harbour

He talked about cost-of-living issues, housing, a delayed train station, and odors in the suburb

Cook said he understands people's concerns, but choosing One Nation is not the answer

Paul Papalia listened to the premier speak at the media conference

Cook said voting for One Nation brings chaos to Western Australia

He said One Nation blames minorities instead of solving problems

It's not a solution for WA

Caddies said he's confident and Labor often talks about federal issues instead of WA

Pauline Hanson visited WA to campaign as her party's support grows

Caddies wouldn't rule out a deal with the Liberals

He said he'll work with any conservative party that shares their values

The WA Liberals didn't rule out running a candidate and might work with One Nation

WA Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said One Nation deserves respect and he's open to working with them

Zempilas said they might preference One Nation above Labor

Tough situation

All the talk about what's next might overshadow Papalia's achievements

A younger Paul Papalia outside state parliament

He's proud of growing the state's defense industries, which will pay off for years

He promoted WA as a tourism destination before and during the COVID pandemic

As police minister, he introduced tough knife laws and changed gun laws

Paul Papalia held a gel blaster in 2021 as police minister

He improved the youth justice system, giving young people more time out of cells and access to services

He leaves with a growing overcrowding problem in adult prisons, but says there are plans to address it

Despite his achievements, it feels like there's still more he could have done

Papalia said his exit wasn't planned, but necessary due to a family member's illness

The condition is significant and debilitating, and will get worse over time

He showed emotion when talking about his family member's illness

But he ended on a positive note

Papalia helped introduce tough liquor laws

A former shire president complimented him, saying 'you get things done'

How Papalia is remembered will depend on the by-election and if he can help Labor hold the seat

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