Newly-elected Daylight Saving Party leader and WA Upper House MP Wilson Tucker reveals he lives in Seattle

Daylight Saving Party leader and new WA Upper House MP Wilson Tucker has broken his silence with a bombshell revelation he is living in the United States. Speaking to the Kalgoorlie Miner on Thursday from the State of Washington just hours before the result was officially announced, Mr Tucker confirmed he was living in Seattle where he was working as a senior engineer developing software for a US tech firm. The WA Electoral Commission has since confirmed Mr Tucker won his seat by securing just 98 primary votes in total. Earlier, the 36-year-old micro-party leader said he would quit his job if he won a seat and return to WA to serve his term as an unlikely MP for the Mining and Pastoral Region. “I was never intending to live forever in the US, it was more of a short-term decision that I made,” Mr Tucker said. “With the opportunity now, and if I do get elected, it’s certainly a no-brainer in terms of coming back and representing the people of Western Australia as best I can. “So for me it would make total sense to come back and it was a decision I was always going to make. “WA and Perth have always been my home and they will always continue to be my home.” According to the WA Electoral Commission’s criteria to be elected to the Upper House must be at least 18, an Australian citizen, have lived in WA for one year and be an elector entitled to vote in a district. Mr Tucker admitted he had been blindsided by winning an Upper House seat. Preference flows struck among the micro-parties coalesced into a deluge of support for Mr Tucker, delivering him one of six seats in the vast electorate stretching from Norseman to Broome. The single-issue party was one of at least six micro-parties involved in a preference swap deal arranged by preference whisperer Glenn Druery who receives a “success fee” for each of his clients who get elected to the Upper House. Mr Tucker confirmed the party had “worked with” Mr Druery. Mr Druery has previously refused to confirm the value of his success fee, which multiple sources put at $50,000. At the 2017 State election he helped get Liberal Democrat Aaron Stonehouse elected, for which he was paid $30,000. Perth-based election analyst William Bowe previously told the Miner that if Mr Tucker was elected to the Upper House it would be the “crowning absurdity” of the WA electoral system, making it “unarguable that it needs to be reformed”. That has been echoed by ABC election analyst Antony Green who, after just 68 per cent of the vote had been counted, said it seemed “hard to credit that a party polling fewer than 100 votes could possibly be elected”. “Given Mining and Pastoral Region has previously voted solidly against ever adopting daylight saving, the election of a party supporting that cause from such a low base will surely drive a nail into the coffin of group-voting tickets in Western Australia,” he said. Mr Tucker said he would strongly oppose any changes to electoral reform. “I think diversity in the Upper House is a good thing and having a system where you can have the little guy have a chance isn’t bad,” he said. “I’m not a career politician and I bring a different perspective to the Upper House and I think it is a good thing, especially when you look at the make up right now of WA with the landslide that Labor has had, I think having a different voice on the crossbench is ... in the best interests for WA and the Mining and Pastoral region. “I will certainly work hard for the people that voted for me and equally and if not harder for the people that didn’t.” Before Mr Tucker was confirmed as an MP he said he was surprised to be where he was but was “fairly optimistic” about his chances. “I think anytime a micro party gets up and gets a positive result above the major parties I think it is surprising and certainly we weren’t really expecting this,” he said. “We certainly tried to get elected as best we can, but the odds are certainly stacked against the micro and the minor parties.” Formed in late 2016, the Daylight Saving Party contested the 2017 election without success. They entered this year’s contest with a candidate in every Upper House seat. The issue of daylight savings has been put to a referendum in WA four times — 1975, 1984, 1992 and 2009. All were defeated, with the most recent being closest with a 54.57 per cent no vote. Mr Tucker said daylight savings remained a contentious issue. “We’re really about advocating for daylight saving and trying to get it legislated in any way shape or form that we can,” Mt Tucker said. “Obviously being elected in the Upper House gives you more leverage to do that, whether it’s a private member’s Bill or starting a committee on daylight saving and having a discussion with the government at the time sort of gives you a lot more flexibility and control. “There’s obviously a range of issues that are associated with daylight saving and if we do get elected we will certainly be looking to broaden our stance.” Mr Tucker was born in Geraldton and lived across regional WA, including Carnarvon, Busselton and Bunbury before going to Perth for university where he studied computer science. In his spare time he enjoys rock climbing and competing in ultra-marathon-style events. Mr Tucker said he would carefully consider all legislation that came across his desk. “I’ll certainly be looking to broaden my stance and talking to people and gauging what people want in Mining and Pastoral and the more regional areas in Western Australia,” he said. “Obviously I’ll be doing my best and the party will be doing its best to represent the needs and the wants of the people in the Mining and Pastoral Region first and foremost and any sort of issues really ... like health, lifestyle, recreation that are closely attributed to daylight saving as well — they’ll be areas we’ll be looking at focusing on. “I’m certainly passionate about technology, health, recreation, Aboriginal welfare as well; so these will be topics and issues that will certainly be forefront of my mind as I look to work with the Government on the cross bench in the Upper House.” Mr Tucker said he would be looking at setting up an electoral office in the Mining and Pastoral electorate. “I love Exmouth,” he said. “But I think I would just have to take a more measured look at where I’m setting up and why and where best I could serve the people of Mining and Pastoral and get a sense of the community is I think where I will choose. “I’ll certainly bring a different perspective other than a career politician.”

Newly-elected Daylight Saving Party leader and WA Upper House MP Wilson Tucker reveals he lives in Seattle

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