WA voters are facing a stark choice as they go to the polls over the coming week.
On one hand is the incumbent Labor Government, which is running on its eight-year record of achievement.
Then there are the WA Liberals, who after eight years of listening to the public, interest groups and experts have developed policies to ensure all West Australians will share in the biggest mining boom this State has ever had.
The Liberals know people are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and pay their bills, are dealing with a broken health system and are feeling unsafe on the streets and in their homes.
The only common ground between the two campaigns is agreement that WA has the strongest economy in the nation. In 2023-24, WA’s gross state product per person was $155,644, which is 57 per cent higher than the Australian average GDP of $99,128.
So where has the money gone?
After two terms of Labor, thousands of once financially secure families have crashed into mortgage stress. Inflation increased 5 per cent in 2022-23 while wages only increased 3.8 per cent, interest rate increases have added an additional $1500 a month to the average mortgage and more than 325,000 West Australians — including 85,000 children — are living below the poverty line.
The Cook Government’s reaction was to give away free tickets to the zoo, the Royal Show and the museum.
The WA Liberals are committed to delivering more than $1 billion in targeted cost-of-living relief to ensure families, individuals and small business get the support they need during these challenging times.
Our policies include reducing electricity costs, increasing assistance to seniors, reducing payroll tax for small businesses, increasing payments to grandparent carers, supporting kids to play sport, supporting toy libraries and provide free financial planning.
WA Labor’s record on housing has seen the wait list for social housing increase by 18 per cent, the number of rough sleepers increase by 113 per cent, homelessness increase by 8 per cent and median rents increase by 76 per cent.
In eight years, the Labor Government added just 139 dwellings to the State’s social housing stock and oversaw a decline in housing construction starts while the state was experiencing the highest rate of population growth in the nation.
The WA Liberals have a $600 million housing infrastructure program to fund sewerage, roads, transmission lines, groundwater, reservoir and pump upgrades to unlock up to 90,000 homes in key growth areas, a $200m fund to support apartment construction and direct support to community housing providers to expand the state’s stock of social housing.
After eight years of Labor our health system is on its knees. Elective surgery wait lists have surged 60 per cent and there are now 30,000 people on those lists. In November 2024 ambulances were ramped outside hospitals for a total of 4843 hours, a 943 per cent increase since 2017 and seven of the nation’s eight worst-performing emergency departments are in WA. Premier Roger Cook has said he is “proud” of our health system and his Government’s record in health.
Liberal governments have a strong history in providing health infrastructure and a government I lead will grow that legacy.
Our health policy includes a rebuild on Royal Perth Hospital, locating our new women and babies hospital where it should be at QEII Medical Centre, expanding Joondalup Health Campus, and investing $400 million in regional health infrastructure.
The Liberals will give immediate relief to our overstretched hospitals with an elective surgery guarantee to leverage private hospital availability, accessing transitional care beds to free up hospital beds, and using St John Urgent Care clinics to accept non-urgent ambulance cases to reduce ambulance presentations at public hospital by up to 20 per cent, according to St John. We will also provide incentives for nurses and doctors to study and work in WA.
Mr Cook has also turned a blind eye to one of the biggest increases in violent crime our State has ever seen. Regional centres are being terrorised by young criminals, domestic violence incidents have spiked by 44 per cent on the five-year average and failed recruitment initiatives have left WA with fewer officers per capita after eight years of Labor Government.
The WA Liberals have a comprehensive $547.85 million community policing policy to strengthening police presence, increase support for officers, and create safer communities across the state.
By investing in front line resources, supporting police welfare, and implementing proactive measures, we will build a resilient and community-centred police force.
There is no beige middle ground in this election.
There is the record of eight years of Labor Government and there is what the WA Liberals are promising after eight years of listening to what WA voters need.
A government I lead will not be giving sugar hits, organising circuses or pandering to unions.
We will not be profligate with the windfalls of the boom but use it to once again make the living standards in our State the envy of the nation.
