One Nation’s West Australian leader said the right-wing populist party does not want to get into a political fight with shadow industry minister Andrew Hastie, who has declared he is at “war” with the party that helped elect him in 2025.

“I think he is fighting a ghost war,” state leader and MP Rod Caddies said. “He is shadow boxing. I have no intention of fighting Andrew Hastie or the Liberals. I have got intentions on going to war with Labor.”

While Mr Hastie has been praised by the Labor government for his opposition to One Nation, he was elected in 2025 on a higher-than-average allocation of preferences from One Nation voters after building a strong relationship with his One Nation opponent, Fernando Bove, who came third.

Mr Bove, who said he hopes to run in the seat again, praised Mr Hastie on Tuesday despite Mr Hastie’s statement he “rather get taken out in a box than bend the knee to One Nation”, a comment that drew him praise from the Labor Government.

“I consider Andrew in high regards as a brother in arms, a brother in faith, and a hard-working politician,” Mr Bove said.

Senior Liberal officials are concerned the surge in One Nation support could cost Mr Hastie his seat of Canning on the outskirts of Perth, depriving the Coalition of a potential future leader.

Liberal support in the area will be tested in coming months in a by-election for the State seat of Secret Harbour, which is almost entirely within Canning.

“I can’t say I’m not worried about Canning because there are no safe seats in politics anymore but Andrew works his seat very hard and he always has,” West Australian Liberal president Caroline Di Russo said.

‘The death knell’

Based on current polling, Mr Hastie will need Labor Party support to retain his seat. At the last election, he received 78 per cent of One Nation preferences, which was two percentage points above the State average.

At the next election he won’t receive any One Nation preferences if One Nation finishes first or second.

The threat to Canning makes the Secret Harbour poll a rare example of a state by-election that could have national implications, election analyst Antony Green said. “If Canning is defeating Andrew Hastie, it’s the death knell of the Liberal Party,” he said.

Mr Hastie’s aggressive approach towards One Nation contrasts with attempts by Liberal leader Angus Taylor to avoid direct conflict that could upset One Nation voters considering switching to the Coalition.

The Labor Party has sought to exploit the different approaches by praising Mr Hastie. In Parliament last week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would support the Liberal MP over One Nation.

Labor Housing Minister Clare O’Neil earlier recorded a video siding with Mr Hastie, a member of the Liberal Party’s conservative wing who supports similar policies to One Nation, including restrictions on immigration, opposition to renewable-energy subsidies and a revival of manufacturing.

“Credit where credit is due,” Ms O’Neil said on Instagram. “Politics demands courage, not weakness.”

Ben Roberts-Smith

The dispute appears to have been triggered by or made worse by the murder charges against Mr Hastie’s former SAS colleague, Ben Roberts-Smith. Mr Hastie testified against Mr Roberts-Smith in a civil war crimes case in 2022, while One Nation campaigned in a Federal by-election in May on its support for the Victoria Cross awardee.

“We stand by all of our defence force members, and that is one thing that Andrew Hastie is forgetting,” One Nation adviser James Ashby said in May.

Last week Mr Hastie said he played a “very small” role in the lawsuit that led a court to find Mr Roberts-Smith committed war crimes. He said he was legally compelled to give evidence. Mr Roberts-Smith has denied the charges and vowed to plead not guilty in his criminal case.

Mr Caddies, One Nation’s leader in Western Australia, said the party did not plan to campaign on Mr Roberts-Smith’s case in the Secret Harbour by-election, which was triggered by the retirement of Labor minister Paul Papalia.

“I don’t think personally we will be bringing at up at all,” he said. “I want to be focused on policy and things we can do that make a difference to people who are hurting. We need to be focused on local issues.”

Mr Caddies said he did not have responsibility for Federal campaigns and could not say if One Nation will use the prosecution of Mr Roberts-Smith in Canning. The next Federal election is due by May, 2028.

Mr Hastie did not respond to a request for comment. He has said the Government has increased security at his home and office because in response to threats.