Josh Wilson returned for another 3 years, time for promotion

At just after 1.15 pm this afternoon, on the advice of Professor Martin Drum of our weekly political podcast, View From The Round House, Fremantle Shipping News called the re-election of Josh Wilson as MP for Fremantle on our Facebook and BlueSky pages.

Josh Wilson, seen here, plainly is in a relieved frame of mind after a hard fought campaign against mercurial Community Independent candidate Kate Hulett.

As we go to print with this story late in the afternoon, the AEC Tally Room Two Party Preferred results look like this, confirming our call –

Kate Hulett issued a media release at around 4.20 pm this afternoon in which she conceded defeat and stated –

Fremantle has once again shown that when people have a real, positive alternative to the same old politics, they vote for it. Our campaign has inspired, engaged and connected with the community in a way the major parties can’t.

Labor repeatedly said we’d be unable to reach people in the suburbs because of our strong positions on gas exports, AUKUS and the housing crisis but we have shown that people from all sides of politics care about these issues if you do the work of connecting with them.

We campaigned hard on climate and the environment and showed there is a mandate from voters for much stronger action than we have seen from the Albanese Government.

“We have pointed out repeatedly that gas exports are driving up our cost of living and Woodside’s North West Shelf extension would be against our national interest.

We’ve engaged and energised the community and they’ve responded in overwhelming numbers.

We spoke about global issues in a way that connected with the local community and showed that it isn’t extreme to tell the major parties that we deserve so much better.

We have given people a real voice and shown that the only way to talk about the issues that people really care about is by providing an alternative to more of the same from the major parties.

This whole campaign has been a win for the Fremantle community and the result is the strongest vindication yet of what I’ve always said – there are no safe seats and the government is on notice.

Twice in two months we have shown Labor what happens when they take Fremantle for granted. They won’t make that mistake again.

In a media statement received by Fremantle Shipping News at 5.20 pm this afternoon, Josh Wilson said –

The campaigns of each of these two candidates has been intense, drawn out, remarkable in so many ways, and now at an end. Each candidate is entitled to take a well earned rest. Maybe they’ll get one.

Fremantle Shipping News congratulates both the victor, Josh Wilson, and his main challenger, Kate Hulett – who has come from the political clouds in recent months to nearly snare, first the seat of Fremantle in the State election, and now the seat of Fremantle in the Federal election. We congratulate both candidates on well run and well fought campaigns, and Josh Wilson on his ultimate victory.

There’s no doubt no one around the country, including in the Albanese cabinet room, will be under the misapprehension that Fremantle is any longer a safe Labor seat.

It would seem to Fremantle Shipping News that there is an unanswerable case for Josh Wilson to be promoted to a senior climate related ministry in the new Labor Government. Labor needs his skills and engagement in the cabinet room around major policy issues, especially relating to climate and energy transition to net zero by 2050.

We will watch with interest.

By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News

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