BEN SMALL MP

 FEDERAL MEMBER FOR FORREST

 SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

 SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ELECTORAL MATTERS

OPPOSITION WHIP

 

 

News24

Television Transcript – Secret Harbour by-election

29 August 2026

 

 

Host: Trudy McIntosh

Guest: Ben Small MP

 

Trudy McIntosh
Well, let's continue the conversation. Joining me live now from over in Bunbury is the federal Liberal MP for Forrest, Ben Small. Ben, thanks for your time tonight. Nice to see you've dressed up for this by-election occasion. One Nation in the box seat to win this Secret Harbour by-election tonight. Will that, in your view, also be a victory for the Liberals?

Ben Small MP
Yeah, thanks, Trudy. I've just ducked out of my local business awards night, so it wasn't just to come on the show that I've got the tux on. I think tonight will be tough for many Liberals because, of course, we've got an outstanding candidate in this by-election, Ryan Robertson, sub-mariner of the year, a local businessman, a proud father of three, and he's not going to state parliament tonight. So for Liberals, I think that will be, you know, something that we take in our stride, because ultimately, as Liam said to you just there, the Liberal team are working hard on earning the confidence of WA voters as they head towards their next election, just as we are at the federal level.

Trudy McIntosh
What did you think of the criticism that the Liberals ran dead in this by-election?

Ben Small MP
There's been so much commentary on this by-election and of course an intense focus on it. But the reality is that Basil Zemplais as Leader of the Opposition has been on pre-poll almost every day. Most of his shadow cabinet, including the Nationals MPs as front benchers have been down there, you know, working the doors with Ryan and engaging with locals. I mean, this is the sort of seat that the Liberal Party would never normally have expected to win. just two elections ago, you know, this this was like an 80 something percent 2pp seat for Labor. So the reality is tonight is a referendum on the Cook Labor government, and they've been kicked in the teeth by local voters who are clearly very, very upset.

Trudy McIntosh
What's your view on why disaffected Labor voters, though, are shifting their support to One Nation and not the Liberals?

Ben Small MP
Well, when you look at the fact that our primaries - primary swing is only off sort of seven to eight percent on current numbers, and Labor has suffered a swing of more than three times that. I think the reality is that this is a problem for the Labor Party. Roger Cook and Rita Safiotti have taken these voters for granted for too long. And because it is a by election, we knew that there was no change of government happening tonight, just as every voter knew that there was no change of government. I think they've expressed their dissatisfaction by kicking Labor in the teeth and voting for One Nation tonight. These aren't typical sort of swing voters that from election to election would contemplate voting for the Liberal Party. And that's why I think we've got to remember this is a by-election. They are a specific set of circumstances. And trying to sort of draw parallels from this into a general state election or even more tenuously into a federal election is a really long bow, I think.

Trudy McIntosh
I want to get to the federal implications, but I just want to bring our viewers what Pauline Hanson, I know she's watching these numbers come in tonight on News 24 very closely. She's just put out on social media, a loss for Labor in Secret Harbour would show that there's no such thing as a safe seat in Australian politics anymore, adding the hashtag for good measure, fire the liar. This, for Pauline Hanson, she sees this is not the only seat to come for her. Not declaring victory just yet, but you get a sense that One Nation feels quite comfortable about where things are headed. Your friend and colleague Andrew Hastie is in the overlapping federal seat of Canning. Much has been made of his contribution in the election campaign here. A stoush with Basil Zemplas. How worried would Andrew Hastie be tonight about losing Canning?

Ben Small MP
I just don't think that it's a relevant consideration. I mean, the ballot paper had Ryan Robertson and the state liberal team on it, and voters were passing judgment on the Cook Labor government in WA. I really don't think that people in that seat in a by-election in a state race are concentrating on who their federal representative is. Parts of the seat overlap Madeleine King’s, so if we want to get excited about trying to draw a really long bow here, the message is that Madeleine King holding one of the safest Labor seats in the state should be really worried about the fact that the Labor primary has collapsed by three times more than the Liberal vote has come off tonight. So the message here is that Labor are on the nose. They have been absolutely belted by voters in this by-election. And so if you wanted to draw any federal conclusion, take 20 something percent off Labor's primary in their safe seats and suddenly the next federal election would look dramatically different.

Trudy McIntosh
Yeah, there are definitely lessons for Labor here. I wanted to get your thoughts on your seat of Forrest as well. At the last election, the primary vote for One Nation in your seat was sitting at something like 8% in Canning. It was around 11% for Andrew Hastie. So if in his area they're seeing a massive swing tonight at a state election, do you have concerns about your own seat of Forrest?

Ben Small MP
No, I don't, to be honest, because I do think that I spent a lot of time in my own community and the changing sentiment here is overwhelmingly positive since Angus Taylor's taken over as the Liberal leader. We have a plan to fix the economy and restore our way of life. That's what voters are looking for when they contemplate a change of government. It's no secret that the bats are out for Anthony Albanese. He's incompetent, he's a fraud and he's lied to the Australian people more times than told the truth. They are looking for a change and it's our job to convince people that we are ready to form government once more. In my own seat, I'm spending all this time in the community talking to voters and they're liking what they see. They want to see our plan for fewer migrants, more homes, dumping net zero, lower power prices and putting Australians first. I think that's a compelling proposition and it's one that I'm putting to voters every single day because there is no such thing as a safe seat in Australian politics anymore and so I'm working for every vote that I can earn.

Trudy McIntosh
Pauline Hanson, I know is watching tonight. Ben, what would your message be for her?

Ben Small MP
I don't have a message for Pauline. I was in the Senate with her some years ago. We get along great. But at the end of the day, I'm supporting Angus Taylor and the Liberal plan to get Australia's economy sorted and to put Australians first. Each political participant between now and the next election will be doing everything they can to earn the support of the Australian people. I'm hoping that the majority of Australians put a number one in the Liberal box next to my name and the rest will sort out after the election.

Trudy McIntosh
Ben Small, Liberal MP for Forrest, thanks for joining us in your dinner suit tonight. Appreciate you coming on the program, thanks.