ABC Online The Labor Government has been returned to power in Western Australia, in the first test of the ALP's standing since the Howard Government's win in the federal election.
Political analysts had predicted that the election result would hinge on a handful of Labor-held marginal wins.
Instead, the Labor Party is predicted to hold 32 seats in the new Parliament to the Liberals' 18 as voters abandon the Liberal party in several key outer metropolitan marginal seats.
The result means all states and territories continue to be led by Labor governments.
Claiming victory, Western Australian Premier Geoff Gallop says education and training will be the main focus of his second term.
Dr Gallop says 36 per cent of all the Labor Party's election spending commitments were on education and training.
"I want to make sure we have the greatest training and education in this nation," he said.
"We want to ensure all Western Australian get to share in the benefits coming through in our strong economy."
Dr Gallop says his re-election proves the Labor Party focused on issues that mattered to voters.
"Financial responsibility is a fundamental question to all governments and we continued with that theme," he said.
"We set high standard for ourselves in the way we conduct government and what we expect for the services we deliver."
He plans to get to work straight away.
"[I will] savour the victory but it's back to work on Monday on behalf of the people of Western Australia," he said.
"There will be no complacency - I believe we can do better and that will be our aim."
Dr Gallop has thanked his opponents for their contribution to the democratic process.
"My congratulations go to Colin Barnett for the dogged and determined way he fought the campaign," he said.
Barnett takes blame
Conceding defeat, Opposition Leader Colin Barnett says the strong economy was always going to make it difficult to remove the first-term Gallop Government.
Visibly distressed, Mr Barnett says he takes responsibility for the loss.
"Four years of working towards today - the final hurdle was too high, the task of removing an incumbent member of parliament is difficult," he said.
"We had a strong national economy, we had a strong state economy that was always going to make it difficult.
"We did have to deal with the situation that the Gallop Government was only in its first term."
Mr Barnett has not given any indication as to whether he will stay on as Liberal Party leader.
Primary vote up
Overall, both major parties have increased their primary vote by 5 per cent with 70 per cent of the vote counted.
The increases come at the expense of the now-irrelevant One Nation.
Around the electorates, Labor has picked up Kingsley, where Liberal Colin Edwards has failed to follow the footsteps of his retiring wife Cheryl.
Labor has increased its majority in Wanneroo and Swan Hills, and easily won the new seat of Mindarie.
It also looks set to retain Riverton and Joondalup, albeit with a slightly reduced majority.
The Opposition fared slightly better in the country, where it looks like winning Bunbury and Murray from Labor.
But Coalition gains elsewhere have been limited to the former safe Liberal seats of Vasse and South Perth, previously held by independents.
In another blow for the Liberals, their Coalition partners are poised to steal the seat of Greenough.
