Western Australia polls to test popularity of Albanese’s party

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SYDNEY (Reuters) – Voters across the state of Western Australia headed to the polls on Saturday, setting the stage for a final political contest before Prime Minister Albanese calls a national election that is due by mid May.

The conservative opposition Liberal party will look to weaken the ruling Labor party’s stronghold over the state and put pressure on Albanese, who is looking to be re-elected as Prime Minister.

Labor won an unprecedented 53 out of 59 seats in the state parliament’s lower house in the previous election held in March 2021, riding high on its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the national election a year later, Labor increased its tally in the state to 9 out of a total of 15 federal electorates.

Western Australia Premier Roger Cook, a fellow Labor member, has maintained his popularity and is widely expected to secure a third consecutive term for the party. Meanwhile, Liberal party leader Libby Mettam is focused on gaining ground and reducing Labor’s influence. 

The win will come as a relief for Albanese, whose popularity has dipped nationally despite a slew of measures aimed to please families grappling with high living costs.

According to a Newspoll survey conducted for The Australian newspaper, the Liberal-National coalition leads Labor 51-49 on a two-party preferred basis under Australia’s preferential voting system, where votes from minor parties are redistributed until a winner is elected.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon)