Labor claims Bullwinkel, cementing grip on the West

Labor believes Trish Cook has made history after the party claimed victory in Bullwinkel, Western Australia’s newest federal electorate, named in honour of pioneering nurse and war hero Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel.

Cook, a former nurse herself and Mundaring councillor, and her party took to social media on Friday night claiming the win believing it had secured an unassailable lead over Liberal candidate Matt Moran.

Cook’s lead had extending to more than 600 votes as the final postal and absentee ballots were counted.

Cook said she was incredibly grateful to be the first-ever member for Bullwinkel.

“I’ve advocated for my patients and my community my whole life and I will continue to advocate for Bullwinkel as your local member,” she said.

“Thank you to my volunteers for an incredible campaign, I’d like to thank everyone who played a role in this campaign.”

Neither this masthead, the ABC or the Australian Electoral Commission has called the seat yet.

There are still more than 2000 absentee votes to be counted and more than 4000 declaration pre-poll votes. Absentee votes are breaking heavily in Cook’s favour at 58 per cent compared to Moran’s 42 per cent.

Cook travelled to Canberra where she was introduced as one of the new Labor MPs on Anthony Albanese’s Facebook page on Friday.

The electorate, which stretches from Perth’s eastern suburbs to the rural regions of Northam and York, was created to reflect the state’s population growth and was expected to be a stronghold for the Liberal Party.

However, Cook’s victory underscores a significant shift in Western Australian politics, with Labor now holding 13 of the state’s 16 lower house seats, marking a dramatic decline for the Liberals from a decade ago when they held 12 of 15.

Moran has yet to concede defeat.

The electorate, which stretches from Perth’s eastern suburbs to the rural regions of Northam and York, was created to reflect the state’s population growth and was expected to be a stronghold for the Liberal Party.

However, Cook’s victory underscores a significant shift in Western Australian politics, with Labor now holding 13 of the state’s 16 lower house seats, marking a dramatic decline for the Liberals from a decade ago when they held 12 of 15.

The vote had initially been split with a third candidate, former Nationals WA leader Mia Davies who conceded on election day she could not win the seat.

Davies this week confirmed her exit from politics entirely.

Bullwinkel was a civilian and military nurse who was the sole survivor of the 1942 Bangka Island massacre and a prisoner of war.

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