Overview
- Paul Papalia announced on Monday that he will resign from WA parliament effective July 10 to care for a close family member diagnosed with a serious, progressive illness.
- His exit leaves multiple senior portfolios vacant, including corrective services, defence industries, emergency services, veterans, and racing and gaming, and WA Labor will hold a caucus meeting on Friday to reassign those roles.
- The resignation automatically triggers a by-election in the southern Perth seat of Secret Harbour and One Nation has confirmed it will run a candidate with its WA leader targeting the seat.
- The vote will be a sharper test for Labor because Papalia’s margin fell to about 11.5 percentage points at the 2025 state election and local polling and recent federal by-election results show growing support for One Nation.
- Campaigns are expected to focus on prison conditions flagged in a June Inspector of Custodial Services report and on local cost-of-living and housing issues that voters have raised as priorities.