Australia's far-right One Nation party continues its political rise. Its candidate, Luke Herdegen, won a seat in the Western Australia parliament in a special election. The seat had been held by the Labor Party in various forms since 1989.

In the Perth area, he received 57% of the vote and described his victory as a huge message to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's ruling party.

This success follows the party's first elected seat in the federal House of Representatives, won under the leadership of Senator Pauline Hanson, and its surpassing of the Labor Party for the first time in a national poll in June.

The populist movement appears increasingly able to translate its growing support into concrete electoral gains. It capitalizes on Australians' frustration with the high cost of living and the housing shortage, while advocating a hardline stance on immigration. The result also increases pressure on the traditional parties ahead of the state election in Victoria.

(Reuters)