Western Australia is heading to an election this weekend.
The last election in 2021 saw Labor rewarded for its handling of the COVID-19 health crisis, including border closures.
Labor is tipped to hold onto government for a third consecutive term, while the Liberal Party is trying to recover support after being reduced to its lowest-ever representation in WA Parliament.
The cost of living, housing, and health have dominated the election campaign.
Election
More than 1.8 million people are enrolled to vote at the election on 8 March.
At the last election, when the state still had COVID-19 border closures, former Premier Mark McGowan led Labor to a landslide victory.
The party won 53 of 59 seats in the state’s lower house and secured control of the upper house. This has meant it can pass laws without negotiating with other parties.
The Liberal Party was reduced to two seats, losing its status as the official opposition party to the Nationals (who won four seats).
Most polling shows the Labor Government is expected to win the election. A Newspoll published in The Australian overnight showed a two-party preferred split of 57.5% (Labor) to 42.5% (Liberal).
It’s likely the Liberal Party will pick up a few seats it lost in 2021, including the inner-Perth seat of Churchlands, where Perth Mayor Basil Zempilas is the party’s candidate.
Labor
WA Labor leader Roger Cook has been Premier since June 2023.
Cook took over from McGowan, who stepped down citing “exhaustion” following his leadership during the COVID-19 years.
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If the Cook Government is re-elected, Labor will be in power for 12 consecutive years.
Libs and Nats
There is no formal coalition between the Liberal and National Parties in WA. Instead, the two have an “alliance” agreement.
Liberal leader Libby Mettam is hoping to win back some of the long-held seats the party lost to Labor at the 2021 election.
National Party leader Shane Love has predominantly targeted regional seats.
Top issues
Cost of living, housing, and health have shaped up as the central issues of the election.
WA’s economy is performing comparatively well to other Australian states and territories, with a budget surplus projected for 2024/25 and economic growth forecast over the next three years.
The Government has committed to reducing public transport fares across Perth and regional centres to a $2.80 flat rate per trip. The Opposition has said they're open to also adopting this policy.
Labor has committed to encouraging build-to-rent projects, aimed at boosting the stock of houses and apartments for long-term leases.
The Liberal Party has announced policies intended to encourage more first home buyers, such as reducing and changing the stamp duty tax.
Another key issue is ambulance ramping, where paramedics are forced to wait outside hospitals due to long queues. Labor has maintained it’s working to bring down ramping rates, while the Liberal Party has vowed to reduce ambulance ramping by 20%.
