New MP Wilson Tucker says he would not say it was easier to win a seat in WA parliament from the other side of the world than it was to find a rental property in Perth.

But we would.

The Daylight Saving Party MP won the upper house seat while living in the Seattle with less than 100 primary votes, on the back of a fancy preferences deal.

In comparison, it took him three months to secure a one-bedroom inner city rental property.

During this time, he attended close to 20 home inspections, where he competed with ten or so other people for the home. The parties were pitted against each other by agents who “strongly encouraged” them to offer more than the asking price.

He recently secured a one-bedroom apartment in South Perth for the princely sum of $450 a week — $20 a week above the asking price.

Mr Tucker said he got a shock when confronted by Perth’s property market, claiming local housing is even more expensive than in Seattle.

He called on the State Government to ease the crisis for the vulnerable by building more social housing.

He said the WA Government’s commitment to build 260 social houses a year for ten years, with an anticipated $5 billion surplus, was at odds with Victoria’s vow to build 9300 homes over four years, despite its $6 billion deficit.

“I can only imagine how difficult it would be to find a reasonably price place out there in Perth,” he said.