Western Australia Liberals Win State Election in Blow to Gillard

Colin Barnett, Liberal party premier of Western Australia state, won state elections with an increased majority amid a mining boom and waning popularity for Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Labor party.

The Liberals are forecast to win 33 seats in the 59-member legislative assembly after an 8.8 percentage point voter swing in the party’s favor in the March 10 election, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. said, based on 75 percent of the vote being counted. Labor will win 19 seats after a 2.3 percentage point swing against it.