WA election: Antony Green calls the WA state election 2021 for Labor

The ABC projects Labor will win Western Australia’s state election, and Mark McGowan will be returned as Premier.

The ABC has also predicted Liberal leader Zak Kirkup will lose his seat of Dawesville, the first WA major party leader to lose their own seat in 88 years.

Early figures are showing swings towards Labor across the state.

The ABC’s chief election analyst Antony Green said given the Opposition would require a swing in its favour to win, it would not be able to win enough seats to form government.

It is too early to project a result in the state’s Upper House.

‘Remarkable job’ by Labor leads to ‘disaster’ for the Liberals

Former Liberal leader Mike Nahan said Mark McGowan had done “a remarkable job”.

“This is a remarkable victory,” the retiring MP told the ABC.

“I would just say to my colleagues, learn from him.”

Mr Nahan described this election as a “disaster” for the Liberals.

“It’s a disaster for the Liberal party — I can’t describe it any other way,” he said.

“I have been critical of the polls, but it looks like the polls have been right.”

Zak Kirkup loses seat of Dawesville

Liberal leader Zak Kirkup will lose his seat of Dawesville, the ABC’s Chief Elections Analyst Antony Green says.

Mr Kirkup held the seat by a wafer-thin margin of just 0.8 per cent.

The 34-year-old will become the first WA major party leader to lose their own seat in 88 years.

In the lead-up to the election, Mr Kirkup said he would give up politics if he lost Dawesville.

The Liberals have held Dawesville ever since its creation in 1996.

Labor how-to-vote cards in hot demand because they ‘had Mark McGowan’s face on them’

The immediate-past Liberal leader, Liza Harvey, said the result reflected what voters had been telling her throughout the campaign.

“There certainly was a sentiment of people wanting to reward the Premier for how he has handled the pandemic,” Ms Harvey said.

“People were just picking up how-to-vote cards because they had his face on it.

“The reality is there was a groundswell of support for the Premier and that has been played out at the ballot box.”

More to come.