18 September 2017
PDF Version [401KB]
Rob Lundie
Politics and Public
Administration Section
Contents
Introduction
Background
Electoral changes
2013 election
Party leaders
Aftermath for the WA Liberal Party
The campaign
Economic issues
Liberal/Nationals differences
Transport
Federal issues
Party campaign launches
Leaders debate
Federal visits and interventions
Candidate issues
Polling
The Liberal-One Nation preference
deal
One Nation internal issues
Media endorsements
Analysis
Wider implications
Introduction
Western Australia has a bicameral
parliament consisting of the Legislative Assembly (lower house) and the
Legislative Council (upper house). On 11 November 2011 the Western Australian
Parliament passed the Electoral
and Constitution Amendment Act 2011 (WA) which established a fixed
election date: elections are held on the second Saturday in March every four
years. The previous election was held on 9 March 2013.[1] The Legislative Assembly is comprised of representatives from 59 single member
districts. The Legislative Council is comprised of 36 representatives: six elected
from each of six regions on a proportional representation basis. Parliament was
prorogued, and the Legislative Assembly dissolved, by the Governor on 30
January 2017. The writs were issued on 1 February for an election on Saturday
11 March.[2] Sixteen parties contested the election compared to the seven which ran in 2013.
Note: All hyperlinks in this paper accessed at the
time of publication.
Background
Electoral changes
According to the Electoral Act 1907 (WA), an electoral
redistribution is required during each term.[3] The 2015
redistribution was significantly affected by a rapid population increase on
the outskirts of Perth. The boundaries of 50 out of 59 lower house districts
were altered, many substantially. There were three new seats — Baldivis (notionally Labor), Bicton (notionally
Liberal) and Roe (notionally National) — while the regional Liberal seat of
Eyre was abolished and some districts were given new names. Furthermore,
redrawn boundaries in other seats resulted in two Labor seats becoming
notionally Liberal.[4] Overall, while ‘Liberal’ seats increased from 31 to 32 and ‘Labor’ seats
reduced from 21 to 20, the 10 per cent swing needed for a change in government
was little affected.[5]
For the first time in Western Australia, people with
disabilities could register to vote electronically, via the internet or a
touchtone phone.[6]
Pre-polling was opened up to all voters, not just those who
were unable to cast their vote on polling day.[7] Early voting polling was opened on Monday 20 February.
In a first for the seat of Kimberley, Labor and Liberal both
fielded indigenous candidates: Warren Greatorex (Liberal) and sitting MLA Josie
Farrer (Labor).[8]
2013 election
At the 2013 WA election the Liberals under Premier Colin
Barnett retained Government with a two-party preferred swing of 6.6 per cent.
Although the Liberal Party won enough seats to govern in its own right, the
Liberal-National alliance was maintained. Labor under Mark McGowan lost seven
seats; the Greens for the second successive election failed to win a seat; and
Independents lost the three Legislative Assembly seats they had won at the 2008election.[9]
The Government also maintained control of the Legislative
Council with the Liberal-Nationals alliance winning 22 of the 36 seats. Labor
retained its 11 seats, the Greens lost two of four seats (despite receiving
many more votes than the Nationals), and the Shooters and Fishers Party picked
up one seat.[10]
Table 1: Legislative Assembly seats
won by each party at the 2013 election
Party |
Seats (change from 2008 election) |
Liberal Party |
31 (+7) |
Nationals |
7 (+3) |
ALP |
21 (-7) |
Greens |
0 (0) |
Independents |
0 (-3) |
Total |
59 |
Source: B Holmes Western
Australian State Election 2013. Background Note, Parliamentary Library,
Canberra, 2 May 2013, p.25.
Table 2: Legislative Council seats
won by each party at the 2013 election
Party |
Seats (change from 2008 election) |
Liberal Party |
17 (+1) |
Nationals |
5 (0) |
ALP |
11 (0) |
Greens |
2 (-2) |
Shooters and Fishers |
1 (+1) |
Total |
36 |
Source: B Holmes Western
Australian State Election 2013. Background Note, Parliamentary Library,
Canberra, 2 May 2013, p.25.
Following the 2013 election there was only one by-election—in
October 2014—following the resignation of former Liberal Party leader and Treasurer,
Troy Buswell. The Government was able to retain the seat. The only other change
came when MLA Rob Johnson left the Liberal Party in April 2016 to sit as an
Independent.[11]
Party leaders
Each of the major parties was led by the same leader that
had been in place for the 2013 election. Liberal Premier Colin Barnett was
seeking a third term, having been in office since 2008. He had won the 2013
election in the context of a performing state economy and an unpopular federal
Labor Government facing an election later in the year. Barnett had survived a leadership
challenge from Dean Nalder in September 2016, but entered the campaign for the
2017 election with a ‘better premier’ approval rating of just 32 per cent.[12]
National Party leader Brendon Grylls had resigned the
leadership in November 2013, but returned to the leadership position in August
2016.
Labor’s Mark McGowan continued as Labor leader to fight the
2017 election, having survived rumours of a challenge to his leadership and a
serious challenge in 2016 from former federal Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Stephen Smith.[13]
Results
Turnout was 86.9 per cent which was down from 89.2 per cent
at the 2013 election.[14] The proportion of informal votes improved from 6 per cent in 2013 to 4.5 per
cent this election following a concerted effort by the WA Electoral Commission.[15] Four hundred and fifteen candidates contested 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly.
Three hundred and two candidates stood for 36 seats in the six regions of the
Legislative Council. There was a marked increase in the number of postal votes
cast from 74,493 at the 2013 election to 111,761 at this election.[16] Twenty-four out of 89 members seeking re-election lost their seats, including
seven Cabinet ministers.
The estimated two-party preferred vote was ALP 55.5 per cent
to Liberal/Nationals 44.5 per cent, (compared to ALP 43.8 per cent,
Liberal/Nationals 57.2 per cent in 2013). This was a swing of 12.8 per cent to
Labor.[17] Commentator William Bowe noted that this was the fifth time since 2011 that a
swing exceeded 10 per cent in Australian mainland state elections. Such
volatility means that there are many fewer safe seats than there used to be.[18] In fact, a 12.8 per cent swing back to the Liberals and Nationals at the next
state election would result in Labor losing 19 of its 41 seats.[19]
At the March 2017 election the WA Labor Party achieved its
best primary vote either federally or at the state level since 1987.
Furthermore, its seat total and two-party-preferred vote was unprecedented.[20] A swing against Labor of 5.8 per cent would be needed for it to lose Government
at the next election.[21]
The Liberal Party with 31.2 per cent of the primary vote won
just 13 seats in the Legislative Assembly, down 18 from the previous election.
In the Legislative Council, the party polled 26.7 per cent of the primary vote
and won just nine seats, a reduction of eight. One election analyst has pointed
out that, when the electoral redistribution is taken into account, the Liberal
Party lost 19 seats and the Labor Party gained 21 seats in the Legislative
Assembly.[22]
The Nationals dropped two seats in the Legislative Assembly
and one in the Legislative Council. A strong campaign by the Chamber of
Minerals and Energy against the Nationals’ mining tax policy probably played a
significant role in the two mining and pastoral seats of Kalgoorlie and Pilbara
where Nationals Leader Grylls was defeated.[23]
Table 3: Seats and first
preference votes by successful parties in the Legislative Assembly and
Legislative Council
|
Legislative
Assembly
|
Legislative
Council
|
Party (Candidates)
|
Seats won
|
Change from last election
|
Primary vote %
|
Seats won
|
Change from last election
|
Primary vote %
|
ALP (59)
|
41
|
+20
|
42.2
|
14
|
+3
|
40.4
|
Liberal Party (59)
|
13
|
-18
|
31.2
|
9
|
-8
|
26.7
|
Nationals (16)
|
5
|
-2
|
5.4
|
4
|
-1
|
4.4
|
Greens (59)
|
0
|
0
|
8.9
|
4
|
+2
|
8.6
|
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (35)
|
0
|
0
|
4.9
|
3
|
+3
|
8.2
|
Liberal Democrats
|
|
|
|
1
|
0
|
2.4
|
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers
|
|
|
|
1
|
+1
|
1.8
|
|
59
|
|
|
36
|
|
|
Source: Western Australian
Electoral Commission, 2017 State general election website.
One Nation contested 35 of the 59 seats in the lower house,
but in four of those seats the listed One Nation candidate on the ballot paper
had resigned or been disendorsed by the party before polling day. One Nation
polled 4.9 per cent across the state for the Legislative Assembly but 8.5 per
cent in the seats it contested.[24] This was not far behind the Greens, who contested all Assembly seats and polled
at 8.9 per cent. Neither party won a seat in the Legislative Assembly.
In the Legislative Council, One Nation won three seats with
8.2 per cent of the vote. The Greens won four seats with 8.6 per cent of the
vote. Both parties contested all six regions.[25]
According to election analyst Antony Green, the preference
deal between One Nation and the Liberals provided no benefit for One Nation in
its wins in either the South West or Agricultural Regions and only a small
benefit in getting their candidate over the quota in the Mining and Pastoral
Region.[26]
Green also suggests that the Liberal Democrats benefited from
voters’ name confusion with the Liberal Party and the fact that, in the region
where they won a seat (South Metropolitan), the Liberal Democrats were placed
to the left of the Liberals on the ballot paper. In the other five regions they
were placed to the right of the Liberals.[27] The Liberal Democrats were the only party to win a seat from a brokered
preference-swapping arrangement, which they had with four other micro-parties.[28]
Aftermath for the WA Liberal Party
In the aftermath of the election, the WA Liberal Party
appeared to be in shock at the magnitude of the defeat (seven ministers had
lost their seats). No one seemed prepared to put themselves forward as leader,
and there were recriminations as to how the campaign had been run, how the
party had been performing, and how the Government had handled some of the big
issues. Former Corrective Services Minister Joe Francis fronted the media three
days after the election, saying: ‘...there’s a void right now from the Liberal
Party where people are either [in] denial about the magnitude of the victory of
the Labor Party or in denial about what went wrong, or in denial about what the
future may hold,’ [29] and that:
Look obviously there was dysfunction between the Premier's
office and the ministry and the back bench. [Premier] Colin [Barnett] was
wrapped in cotton wool by people who just said yes to him. I'm not going to
point fingers. I would say that the Premier seemed to be cocooned somewhat by
people in his office from the reality of what was happening in the electorate.[30]
Francis and others slammed the
party's preference deal with One Nation for depriving the party of oxygen as it
pushed its campaign messages. There was also criticism the party had breached
trust with the public on a range of issues, including its broken promise from
the 2013 election to build the Max light rail and an inadequate response to the
impact of Uber on the taxi industry.[31]
Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan admitted the result
was a ‘savage message’ for the Liberal Party but denied it was any reflection
on the Turnbull Government.[32]
The campaign
The formal election campaign began with the issue of the
writs on Wednesday 1 February.[33] The Barnett Government was well behind in the polls, and, unlike at the 2013 WA
election, a federal Coalition Government was in place rather than Labor (and
also behind Labor in the polls).[34]
Economic issues
The economy was in decline compared to 2013. The investment
boom was over; the state had lost its triple-A credit rating in September 2013;
budget deficits were forecast until the end of the decade; public sector debt
was forecast to rise to $41 billion by 2020; and unemployment was the highest
of any state in Australia at 6.5 per cent.[35] Furthermore, the state’s share of GST revenue was predicted to be cut by $1.2
billion by 2019–20.[36]
The Government pointed out that its borrowings had produced
new infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, the Perth Stadium and Elizabeth
Quay.[37] It also blamed the budget deficit on WA’s low proportion of GST revenue. Although
encouraged by the Prime Minister’s reference to 70 cents in the dollar as a
potential GST floor level, this hope was tempered by the Prime Minister saying
that a set floor level would only be introduced when all states agreed and no
state was disadvantaged as a result.[38]
The Government’s policy for bringing the state budget back
to balance was through privatisation, in particular the selling of 51 per cent
of Western Power, which would reduce the state’s debt by $8 billion. However,
this was opposed by Labor and One Nation.[39] Labor argued the partial sale of Western Power would lead to higher consumer
electricity prices and leave the state worse off, but the Government denied
these assertions and maintained the sale was necessary to reduce debt and fund new
infrastructure.[40] Labor further claimed that the Water Corporation would be next in line to be
privatised after Western Power, something the Government denied. In turn, the
Government claimed taxes and charges would increase under Labor, something
denied by the Opposition.
Labor’s policy for winding back the debt was essentially to
pay it back over time.[41] It also proposed public service cuts and the establishment of a debt reduction
account into which would go windfall amounts.[42] Labor would use 50 per cent of mining royalties to pay down the debt but only
when the GST share returned to 65 cents or above, and the iron price was $85 a
tonne or more. An analysis by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce showed those
conditions had been met only twice since the turn of the century, and would not
be met at all by the end of the decade. Treasurer Dr Mike Nahan criticised
Labor's strategy as ‘hollow’.[43]
Liberal/Nationals differences
Some differences on key policy areas emerged during the
campaign between the Liberals and their alliance partner the Nationals. Nationals
Leader Brendon Grylls criticised both Liberal and Labor for not having viable
plans to reduce debt. He said the Liberal plan to sell off Western Power would
be blocked by One Nation, and Labor’s gradual approach would be frustrated by
shortfalls in revenue.[44] He also noted that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s promise of a floor under
the GST had come to nothing.[45] The Nationals proposed an increase in mining royalties, charging BHP and Rio
Tinto $5 a tonne for their mined iron ore; but this was opposed by the Liberals
who preferred a one-off payment.[46] The mining industry ran an estimated $2 million advertising campaign against
the royalties proposal.[47] Later in the campaign, the Liberals announced a plan to move money from the
Royalties for Regions program to meet the recurrent costs of regional programs
which would save $800 million over two years.[48] This funding had previously come from consolidated revenue, and Brendon Grylls
vowed to fight this plan.[49] Adding to the tension between the parties, Nationals Deputy Leader Mia Davies
criticised WA’s representatives in the federal Cabinet for neglecting the
state.[50]
Transport
Transport was a major campaign issue, in particular the
Government’s $1.6 billion Perth Freight Link project and its first stage, a
$450 million extension of the Roe Highway known as Roe 8. Announced in May
2014, the whole project was designed as a heavy haulage freight route to
Fremantle Port which would also ease traffic congestion in the area.[51] Documents obtained under freedom of information indicating that the Perth
Freight Link tunnel could cost up to $8.5 billion were dismissed by Treasurer
Mike Nahan as being out of date. Federal Minister for Social Services and WA Liberal
member Christian Porter stated that this was a 2014 estimate not based on an
engineering or private sector assessment.[52]
Labor vowed to stop work on the project and divert the money
to other projects such as an outer harbour at Kwinana.[53] However, the federal Government said it may not permit such a reallocation of
its $1.2 billion contribution to the project.[54]
The Greens, environmentalists and indigenous groups were
also opposed to the project, with the Conservation Council of WA calling for a
royal commission. One claim that the road would run through the Beeliar
Wetlands, home to three species of black cockatoo, was countered by the
Government pointing out that Lake Clifton had been identified as a potential
offset site.[55] Premier Colin Barnett went further, saying that if the project was not
completed ‘lives will be lost in traffic accidents’.[56]
Federal issues
Just over two weeks from polling day the federal Fair Work
Commission brought down its decision that the Sunday penalty rate be cut from
double the typical wage to 150 per cent, and that this be applied to employees
of hospitality, fast food and retail companies.[57] Colin Barnett said he would like to see a reduction in ‘those excessive Sunday
penalties [to] bring them in line with Saturday and increase the base rate.’[58] Mark McGowan criticised Barnett’s stance, and Nationals leader Brendon Grylls
expressed concern about ‘attacks’ on penalty rates.[59]
Party campaign launches
Both Labor and the Liberals formally launched their
campaigns on Sunday 19 February. Neither Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull nor
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten attended their party’s launch.
At the Liberals’ launch, Colin Barnett highlighted the revitalisation
of Perth and pledged: a live export facility at Kwinana costing $110m and
funded by the part privatisation of Western Power; $15,000 stamp duty
concessions for over-65s wanting to downsize or change homes (capped at
$750,000 house value); and a $5,000 bonus to employers taking on apprentices
with the aim of boosting apprenticeships by 15,000.[60] The launch was addressed by federal Minister Christian Porter.[61]
Labor launched its campaign under the banner ‘WA Jobs
First’ with Mark McGowan pledging: to freeze TAFE fees at a cost of $15.55
million over four years; to divert federal funds meant for Roe 8 to Labor’s
Metronet rail plan and road funding; and to impose a new four per cent tax on
foreign residential property buyers (expected to raise $21 million in its first
year).[62] In response to suggestions that the federal Government would not permit its
contribution to the Perth Freight Link to be diverted to Labor’s Metronet,
McGowan said, in an echo of John Howard, that: ‘It will be Western Australians
who will decide where our funding is directed to and the circumstances with
which it is spent.’[63]
The Nationals had their launch the day before (18
February), during which Brendon Grylls announced a policy aimed at encouraging
companies to employ people who lived in the town or area rather than hiring fly-in
fly-out workers. The ‘Live Where You Work’ policy would exempt companies employing
residents from paying payroll tax, the threshold of which would be raised to $5
million.[64]
The Greens had launched their campaign on 11 February,
emphasising sustainability, limiting the powers of lobbyists, and reforming the
political donations system by ‘banning ... donations particularly from for-profit
corporations, mining companies and polluters.’[65]
Leaders’ debate
The only televised leaders’ debate was held
on 22 February before a panel of political journalists. Premier Colin Barnett
noted that the economy had been ‘difficult’ but that it was ‘basically strong’
and ‘turning for the better’.[66] He promised ‘to lead Western Australia ... through a transition into another
period of growing prosperity’.[67] Labor leader Mark McGowan noted the poor state of the economy and offered ‘stable,
competent, secure leadership for the long haul’.[68] Barnett criticised McGowan’s lack of experience, the costings of his program
and his debt reduction plan.[69] McGowan criticised the Liberals’ plan to sell off Western Power and its
preference deal with One Nation.[70] Political analyst Peter Kennedy judged that the debate was most likely to have
reinforced people’s voting intentions rather than changing them.[71]
A few days later Barnett and McGowan appeared at a
question and answer event organised by the Australian Christian Lobby where the
focus was on social issues. Barnett opposed voluntary euthanasia; McGowan
supported it. McGowan was in favour of the Safe Schools program, Barnett was
not.[72] Barnett criticised the format as not being interactive enough and insisted
there would be only one debate.[73]
Federal visits and
interventions
A range of federal MPs, former prime ministers and state
premiers made appearances or comments at various stages throughout the
campaign. These included former Liberal PM John Howard and former WA Labor
Premier Geoff Gallop.[74]
Prime Minister Turnbull’s one and only visit—for less than
24 hours—was described variously as a ‘disaster’ and a ‘damp squib’.[75] This was because, having promised in August 2016 to put a floor under GST
distribution so that states such as WA did not miss out, Turnbull subsequently
stated that any such reform was ‘a few years away’.[76] Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten visited three times.[77] Neither leader attended their party’s campaign launch as both were in Darwin
commemorating the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin.[78] Federal MPs who campaigned for Colin Barnett at one stage or another included
Deputy Liberal Leader Julie Bishop.[79]
One media report suggested that two federal Nationals MPs,
including federal leader Barnaby Joyce, were not welcome to visit WA during the
campaign due to differences over the proposal to increase mining royalties.[80]
Federal Australian Greens Leader Senator Richard Di Natale
visited the state on 21 February and proposed the decriminalisation of illicit
drug possession and a royal commission into drug-related crime.[81]
Federal Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese warned on his
visit that both Liberal and One Nation supporters were unhappy about the
preference deal between the WA Liberal Party and the One Nation party (covered
below): ‘The One Nation people said they were outsiders and now they're in bed with
the Barnett government and Liberals who have a small ‘l’ liberal view of the
world are frustrated as well about this deal that has put One Nation before the
National Party.’[82]
Former Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke suggested that
Opposition Leader Mark McGowan address WA’s budget and economic situation by
holding a summit with business, union and community leaders.[83] McGowan was also supported by former federal Labor leader Kim Beazley who said
McGowan had ‘safe hands’ which, Beazley said, was more important than vision.[84]
Federal One Nation leader Pauline Hanson campaigned during
the week leading up to polling day and attracted much media attention in
relation to statements supporting the leadership of Russian President Vladimir
Putin and criticising the compulsory vaccination of children. The media
attention was intensified when Hanson later admitted that she was wrong to
claim that parents could have their children tested for allergies to vaccines.[85] Premier Barnett expressed frustration over the level of media focus on One
Nation and the Liberal-One Nation preference arrangement.[86]
Candidate issues
Elections tend to throw up instances of candidates not
always toeing the party line (intentionally or otherwise), errant messages, and
other notable/colourful campaign occurrences. Some examples during the campaign
included:
-
Liberal candidate for Mirrabooka, Lily Chen, gave out free
bottles of wine while doorknocking. This was considered ‘an error of judgment’
and drew the attention of the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor.[87] Another candidate, Wade de Campo, rang a radio station using a false name.[88] Premier Colin Barnett subsequently said ‘sometimes candidates get a bit too
excited and get carried away’.[89] Earlier in February, mints were made available to journalists with the face of
Opposition Leader Mark McGowan on the label and the slogan: ‘Mark McGowan and
WA Labor A Fresh Approach.’[90]
-
Premier Barnett was forced to emphasise that there would be no
tunnel under the Swan River as part of the Perth Freight Link after his
Corrective Services Minister, Joe Francis, said this would form part of the
final stage of the route.[91] Barnett also said the proposed toll on trucks using the route would not be
extended to other vehicles nor to other roads.[92] On the other side, Mark McGowan was required to refute a claim by shadow
minister Fran Logan that any Roe 8 contractor who tried to sue a Labor
government would not be offered government work.[93]
-
One Nation candidate for Fremantle, Warren Duffy, said he and
other candidates supported Roe 8 in contradiction of Pauline Hanson, who had
said in January that she opposed it and the privatisation of the Fremantle Port.[94]
Polling
Throughout the campaign polling consistently had Labor ahead
of the Barnett Government on a two-party preferred vote, and Mark McGowan
clearly ahead of Colin Barnett as preferred Premier. Newspoll had Labor ahead
on the two-party preferred vote from the end of March 2015 onwards and leading
the primary vote from May 2016 onwards. Mark McGowan had consistently outpolled
Colin Barnett as preferred Premier since the end of 2013.[95] In the last week of the campaign bookmakers gave Labor a 76 per cent chance of
winning the election.[96]
The Liberal-One Nation preference deal
One Nation’s media domination of the campaign began early-on.
Having done very well at the Federal election (2 July 2016) less than a year
before, and polling well in WA, One Nation was the subject of much discussion
within the major parties as to where to place the party on how-to-vote cards. The
Liberal Party decided to come to an arrangement with One Nation whereby the
Liberals would preference One Nation above the Nationals in the Legislative
Council in exchange for One Nation preferencing the Liberals ahead of Labor in
the Legislative Assembly.[97] The Liberals would preference the Nationals in lower house seats and put the
Greens above Labor in all Legislative Council Metropolitan seats, as they did
in the 2013 election.[98] Labor refused to do any preference deals with One Nation.[99]
Premier Barnett defended the decision on purely pragmatic
grounds. He was at pains to emphasise that the deal should in no way be viewed
as endorsement of One Nation candidates or policies, saying:
Can I make it absolutely clear the
Liberal Party has made an agreement on preferences in this election in the
Upper House - in the Lower House where government is determined, Liberal
preferences go to the National Party. There is no endorsement of One Nation
candidates by myself or anyone else, there is no endorsement of One Nation
policies and there is no agreement or understanding that we will reach policy
agreements on legislation or any other matter.[100]
Nevertheless, Barnett also commented that One Nation’s
policies were not as extreme as they were 20 years ago.[101]
Pauline Hanson also saw the arrangement in practical
electoral terms: ‘It's shoring up that we can win seats in the Upper House,
otherwise it's going to be extremely hard for us.’[102]
The deal was not accepted by all WA Liberals. Liberal MLA
for the seat of Perth Eleni Evangel said: ‘... just because this preference deal
has been negotiated, it's not a reflection of my values and what I stand for
because I certainly don't have anything in common with the values and policies
of One Nation.’[103]
Federally, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull supported the
Liberals’ decision on the basis that it was all about maximising the chances of
the Liberals retaining government.[104] However, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott decried the deal, saying that the
Nationals should always be put above other parties.[105] Federal Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce was also against the deal.[106]
The WA Nationals expressed their displeasure with the deal
by deciding to preference Greens candidates ahead of the second- and third-placed
Liberal candidates in two Upper House regions: Mining and Pastoral, and South
West. This meant that sitting Greens MP Robin Chaple received National Party
preferences ahead of Liberal Minister for Agriculture Mark Lewis.[107]
More widely, the preference deal was criticised by the
Islamic Council of Perth, which urged Muslims not to vote Liberal because it is
‘appearing to endorse the politics of racism, division and fear’. The Council
advocated voting Green.[108]
According to a ReachTEL poll conducted on 15 February (a
little over three weeks before the election) the wider electorate also had a
negative view of the preference deal. It found that 54.2 per cent disagreed
with the deal, with 30.8 per cent agreeing and 15 per cent undecided.
Furthermore, 43.2 per cent said they were less likely to vote Liberal as a
result of the deal, 22.5 per cent were more likely to vote Liberal and 34.3 per
cent said their vote would not change.[109]
Meanwhile, ‘Preference Whisperer’ Glenn Druery brokered a
deal whereby five micro-parties seeking seats in the Upper House would
preference each other. The parties were: Family First, Liberal Democrats, Flux
the System, Fluoride Free and Daylight Saving Party.[110]
One Nation internal issues
The Liberal-One Nation preference arrangement was not accepted
by all One Nation candidates, many of whom had not been consulted or informed
about it beforehand. Margaret Dodd, One Nation candidate for Scarborough, said
she had not been informed of the deal and would not be preferencing the
Liberals.[111] In the last week of the campaign she said she had paid for posters containing a
‘Put the Liberals last’ message next to a picture of her and Pauline Hanson.[112] She planned to put them in polling booths—to the displeasure of Senator Hanson,
who said she was not a team player and that if she had a problem with
preferencing the Liberals she should have stood as an independent.[113] Weeks before, Hanson had said that the deal was in the best interests of One
Nation and that those candidates not happy with it should resign from the party
and run as independents.[114]
On the last day of the campaign One Nation candidate
Margaret Dodd did precisely this, although her name on the ballot paper remained
under One Nation. Dodd said in parting:
PHON [Pauline Hanson’s One Nation] in
my eyes are not about the WA people and their future but for personal power for
Senator Hanson who will do and say anything to achieve her goal at whatever
cost. This sort of agenda is something I do not wish to be part of therefore I
shall take Senator Hanson's advice and leave the Pauline Hanson's One Nation
Party.[115]
Another One Nation candidate, Ray Gould, had resigned just a
week out from polling day saying ‘Nothing has been upfront, we haven't been
told the truth from day one’.[116] His name too remained on the ballot paper under One Nation.
One Nation disendorsed candidates for the rural Lower House
seat of North West Central (Dane Sorensen) and the southern Perth seat of
Thornlie (Sandy Baraiolo) for not meeting ‘standards’.[117] Although Sorensen had spoken out against the preference deal with the Liberals,
One Nation WA state leader Colin Tincknell said the disendorsements were not
related to that issue.[118] Because nominations had closed, however, the two candidates remained on the
ballot paper as One Nation candidates.[119] Sorensen expressed dissatisfaction with One Nation’s chief advisor, James
Ashby, for not being prepared to discuss matters with candidates or leave room
for negotiation.[120] Baraiolo, who had indicated that she was not doing deals with anyone, said that
the reason she was given for being disendorsed was that she ‘refused to follow
direction and refused to work as a team’.[121]
Even as One Nation was in the process of selecting its
candidates, longstanding party stalwarts Ron McLean and Marye Louise Daniels
accused Senator Hanson of sacking Mr McLean as a Legislative Council candidate because
she felt he was ‘too old’ to run for parliament. Hanson denied this.[122]
Five other One Nation candidates said voters should make up
their own minds as to where they directed their preferences.[123] Pauline Hanson agreed, and tried to calm matters by saying the deal was a
recommendation only and that voters could choose to ignore it.[124]
Media
endorsements
The Sunday Times editor advocated a change for WA,
saying: ‘It’s time for fresh ideas. And new leadership. The Sunday
Times supports the election of Mark McGowan and his Labor team. We believe
they should be given the opportunity to run our great State for the next four
years.’[125]
The West Australian also put its support behind Labor
in its polling day eve editorial, but not without qualification. It pointed to
the strained relationship between the Liberals and the Nationals, saying: ‘This unworkable relationship is a symptom of the decline of the
Barnett-Grylls Government and one of the reasons why The West Australian is
advocating for Labor to be given an opportunity for a fresh start.’[126] While giving credit to
Barnett for his infrastructure legacy, the newspaper criticised the lack of
transparency on many projects and questioned their affordability. The West
Australian characterised Grylls’ tax plan as a ‘disaster’,
presciently noting that it could even cost Grylls his seat in the Pilbara. It also
noted that Barnett received no support from his federal colleagues as evidenced
by the Prime Minister’s failure to provide any assurance over the GST. The newspaper
lamented the loss of treasurer Christian Porter to the federal sphere and stated
that a ‘tired’ Barnett had no ‘credible succession plan’.[127]
By contrast, the West Australian characterised
Mark McGowan as being youthful, but was also concerned that Labor did not have
a robust debt management strategy. It urged McGowan to continue with the Perth
Freight Link, and also warned against undue union influence and the risk to
good government posed by One Nation and minor parties having the balance of
power in the Legislative Council. The newspaper urged voters to ‘reject those
who want to wreck the system, and stick with the major parties.’[128] The editorial concluded:
‘The West Australian believes voters are looking for new ideas and new
leadership. Labor has a suite of positive policies ... [Mr McGowan] deserves the
opportunity to implement his plans and to not be hindered by a gaggle of small
parties in the Upper House.’[129]
The Australian, while conceding an ‘it’s time’ factor
in its editorial, warned against giving One Nation the balance of power in the
Legislative Council, stating that: ‘Entrusting the party with the balance of
power in the upper house would be tantamount to stalling reform and progress.’[130] It concluded:
‘However aggrieved West Australians may be with Mr
Barnett, who has failed to develop a succession plan, voters should be careful
in what they wish for by turning to Labor or to One Nation. If anything, the
campaign has refocused the Liberal Party’s thinking and its plan is sound.
Voters would best serve their own interests by retaining the status quo.’[131]
Premier Colin Barnett criticised the media’s coverage of the
election as being ‘light on’, characterising the questioning of the One Nation
deal as ‘trite’ and the scrutiny of Labor’s promises as not properly done.[132] Pauline Hanson herself was critical of Labor’s attack on the One Nation preference
deal with the Liberals, likening it to the Medicare campaign run by Labor at
the 2016 federal election.[133]
Analysis
The main topics to arise in discussions of the election
result and its implications were the ‘it’s time’ factor; the WA economy; the
Liberals-One Nation preference deal; the media focus on One Nation; state
versus federal factors; and the implications for the parties at the federal and
Queensland level.
It’s time
Going for a third election win was always going to be
difficult for the Barnett Government, as it brought into play the ‘it’s time’
factor. Prime Minister Turnbull attributed the loss to state issues and the
‘it’s time’ factor.[134] A ReachTEL poll conducted a couple of days before the election found that 43.5
per cent of voters who said they were voting Labor stated the reasons for doing
so to be either ‘it’s time for a change in Government’ or ‘I don’t like Colin
Barnett’.[135]
Political analyst Michelle Grattan noted: ‘If he wins, Mr
McGowan's victory will be largely because people just want to see the end of Mr
Barnett, who trails his opponent as preferred premier. It's not that they hate
him, but rather many voters simply think his time is over.’[136]
However, not all commentators agreed with the ‘it’s time’
thesis. Queensland political scientist Paul Williams dismissed it and pointed
to its failure as a factor against Menzies or Beattie in the 1963 and 2006
elections respectively.[137]
A concomitant factor to ‘it’s time’ was that Premier Colin Barnett
had made it clear that he did not intend to stay the full term if elected. As
Michelle Grattan commented: ‘It might be commendable frankness but, for voters,
it adds more uncertainty.’[138] The West Australian’s analyst Gary Adshead attributed some of the loss
to the lack of a succession plan after Colin Barnett.[139] Three major candidates for the leadership had moved on—Troy Buswell left for
personal reasons, Christian Porter moved to the federal sphere and Barnett’s
deputy, Kim Hames, had retired.
Professor Peter van Onselen also highlighted the failed
leadership challenge to Barnett by Dean Nalder in September 2016, because it
undermined the momentum which had seen the Government draw within two
percentage points of Labor in the opinion polls. The challenge exposed doubts
within the party as to Barnett’s suitability for another term.[140] After the election, Liberal former Deputy Premier Liza Harvey pointed to this,
stating: ‘I expect when we do the analysis of when things started to go wrong
it will point to that period of upheaval and turmoil. The one big turn-off for
people in the community is when politicians, governments, parties, start talking
about themselves.’[141]
State of the WA economy
The state of the WA economy and people’s concerns with their
own circumstances appeared to outweigh any benefits derived from the rejuvenation
of Perth and the benefits of Barnett’s large infrastructure projects.[142] The planned sell-off of Western Power was also a significant factor in voters’
minds. In the final poll of the campaign, 27 per cent of those who indicated
they would vote Labor gave their opposition to its privatisation as their main
reason. This was nearly as many who ranked ‘it’s time’ as their main reason
(27.2 per cent).[143]
Liberal-One Nation
preference deal
The preference deal between the Liberals and One Nation was a
major issue throughout the campaign as the media’s focus on it and on One
Nation made it difficult for Premier Barnett to gain the attention he needed for
his own policies and his battle with Labor. Federal WA Liberal Senator Dean
Smith commented that the deal ‘sucked the oxygen’ from the Liberal Party’s
campaign.[144] It was a distraction that clearly frustrated Barnett.[145] Nevertheless, after analysing the results and preference flows, Antony Green
concluded that the deal had had ‘minimal impact’ on the actual election results
due to the significant changes in the primary vote:[146]
In the end the election was not about preferences but rather
the collapse of the Liberal Party's primary vote. The Liberal Party recorded
31.2% in the lower house, its lowest ever vote at a state election where it
contested every seat. Liberal support fell 15.9 percentage points, Labor's vote
up 9.1 percentage points and One Nation polling 4.9% from contests in 35 of the
59 seats. The election was decided by the change in primary vote, with results
merely altered at the edges by minor party preferences.[147]
It is not possible to know how many people who would have
voted Liberal voted for another party because of the preference deal.
Political scientist William Bowe has noted that, despite Pauline
Hanson’s attempts to let voters know that they should take control of their own
preferences when voting, there was a perception that in doing the deal she had
favoured one of the major parties:
Even people who are not exactly sure what a preference
deal is, they've picked up loud and clear that One Nation has picked a side.
And once they have done that, they lose that fabulous advantage of being the
anti-politics party, of being removed from the whole establishment, of being
the kind of Donald Trump-style option that is just going to go in there and
tear everything apart. If they have a disappointing performance here, I think
the important thing is that they are going to think twice about entering a
preference deal with the Liberal-National Party in Queensland.[148]
Antony Green also commented on the implications of the
Liberal-One Nation preference deal for Queensland:
The question is whether the benefit gained from the extra
preferences was outweighed by the bad publicity over the deal during the
campaign. Assessing the pros and cons of a general preference deal is now a
matter for the Queensland LNP to consider. Queensland has no upper house which
removes one of One Nation's reasons for engaging in a formal deal. The question
is whether the LNP would want to have a general deal on preferences, or pick
and choose seats. Avoiding a blanket deal may diminish controversy and allow
the LNP to get around the variable quality of One Nation candidates.[149]
The Liberals’ message was overshadowed by the media focus on
One Nation and the preference deal, which added to the presence One Nation gained
from its success at the 2016 federal election and from comments such as
Senator Arthur Sinodinos’ February 2017 statement that One Nation was ‘a lot
more sophisticated’ and that ‘our job is to treat them as any other party.’[150] When asked about the possibility of the WA Liberal-One Nation preference deal,
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had simply said: ‘We respect every single
member and senator.’[151]
WA Liberal Senator Mathias Cormann, who reportedly helped
arrange the preference deal, defended it in pragmatic terms: ‘If we wanted to
minimise losses, maximise our chances of holding onto seats, we needed to be
able to source preferences and clearly, these weren’t going to come from Labor
and the Greens.’[152] Colin Barnett also attempted to portray the deal in purely pragmatic terms,
saying: ‘what we’re out to do is to retain government.’[153] Barnett later said he was personally uncomfortable with the deal, but also
adopted this stance: ‘It’s a mathematical exercise. It's numbers to maximise the
Liberal vote. We would be naive as a major party not to look after and protect
our position.’[154] WA federal Liberal minister Ken Wyatt indicated that voters had told him of
their dislike of the preference deal with One Nation.[155]
One journalist noted that ‘A preference deal, no matter how
pragmatic, lends legitimacy to One Nation, and such views and will increase the
likelihood they’ll drown out any other message — just like whatever chance the
WA Liberals had of targeting weaknesses in Labor’s campaign was obliterated by
the focus on One Nation.’[156]
Media focus on Pauline
Hanson
The focus on Pauline Hanson following the preference deal
was exacerbated when she attracted much media focus on the eve of her visit to
Western Australia at the beginning of the last week of the campaign. She
praised the leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticised the federal
Government’s policies on vaccination.[157] Her admission four days later that she was wrong to claim parents could have
their children tested for allergies to vaccinations increased the media
attention One Nation received.[158] In the final two weeks of the campaign, based on the number of press stories
containing the name ‘Barnett’, ‘McGowan’ or ‘Hanson’ in the title, Senator Hanson
was mentioned in almost two and two thirds as many articles (90) as Barnett and
McGowan combined (34 in total and 23 and 11 respectively).
Federal factors
As is often the case, views regarding the influence of federal
factors on the election differed. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull stated that ‘there
is no evidence of federal factors playing a role there’,[159] and federal Treasurer Scott Morrison said ‘the issues in WA were the issues in
WA.’[160] Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan stated that ‘penalty rates and federal
issues have been no issue in this campaign.’[161] However, federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten had a different view, saying:
‘If Malcolm Turnbull listens to the people of Western Australia tonight, he
will do two things on Sunday—drop his support for cuts to penalty rates, and
rule out any more deals with One Nation.’[162] In mid-March Shorten said:
But I do note that Colin Barnett, along with Malcolm
Turnbull, in the last two weeks of the West Australian election came out and
supported the cut to penalty rates. I'm sure that did have some impact and it
will keep having an impact on the fortunes of conservative politics when
Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Turnbull keep supporting the cuts to penalty rates.[163]
Shorten said there were a lot of state issues, but also
lessons for the federal sphere: a vote for either the Liberals or One Nation
was a vote for the other and ‘a vote to cut penalty rates’.[164]
Commentators also expressed views on federal factors. Journalist
Laura Tingle stated that ‘this was a campaign that never really jumped the
Nullarbor,’[165] and that WA voters’ dissatisfaction with the GST distribution for their state
was more likely to have affected views of the federal government rather than of
the state government.[166] Western Australian-based Peter Van Onselen largely rejected federal factors as affecting
the WA election outcome, opining instead that ‘Labor under Mark McGowan’s
leadership presented as a credible alternative when voters were looking for a
change.’[167] Paul Williams suggested that it was ‘implausible’ to think that federal issues
did not have at least some influence on voters in marginal seats.[168]
Wider implications
A few points emerge from the WA election that are worth
noting in the broader context.
-
The federal Government now faces Labor governments in every state
and territory except NSW and Tasmania.
-
Following the election Nationals leader Brendon Grylls, who lost
his seat, was replaced by Mia Davies, who advocated that the party continue to
maintain its separate identity from the Liberals: ‘I'm quite convinced that the
reason we have as many members as we do and our ability to represent our
constituency, is because we protect that independence.’[169] Election analyst Antony Green noted that, despite the Nationals losing the
mining seats of Pilbara and Kalgoorlie, their overall vote held up. Green
suspected it was the Liberals, not the Nationals, who lost ground to One
Nation.[170]
-
It has been suggested that if state results were repeated at a
federal election, the federal Liberal-held seats of Hasluck (Ken Wyatt),
Canning (Andrew Hastie) and Pearce (Christian Porter) could be under threat,
given that the state seats encompassed by these divisions all fell heavily to
Labor.[171] It has also been suggested that the economic downturn and WA’s ‘ingrained
hostility’ to Canberra could be of benefit to Labor federally.[172]
-
One Nation’s results of 8.5 per cent of the vote across contested
Legislative Assembly seats and 8.2 per cent across contested Legislative
Council seats could be considered quite an achievement, given that: three One
Nation candidates were disendorsed; one candidate quit; two senior longstanding
party stalwarts were ‘sacked’; and, towards the end of the campaign, Pauline
Hanson made controversial statements in support of the leadership of Russian
President Vladimir Putin and criticised the compulsory vaccination of children.[173]
-
One analysis from the Australia Institute suggests that One
Nation’s result in WA could eventually lead to the party securing the balance
of power in the Senate federally. One Nation’s 8.47 per cent of the vote in the
seats it contested in the Legislative Assembly was just about double its result
in the 2016 federal election; if this support is retained, the party could be
in line to win a Senate seat in WA at the next federal election.[174] In addition, One Nation WA is better off organisationally, able to claim nearly
$320,000 in electoral expenditure reimbursement in WA as its candidates
obtained over four per cent of the primary vote.[175] This injection of funds and a stronger organisational base will put One Nation
in a better campaigning position.[176]
-
The issue of possible preference deals with One Nation will
reverberate federally and at the next state election in Queensland for
political parties (including One Nation itself).[177] In addition, the flow of One Nation preferences in WA is noteworthy:
... it was the first election under full preferential voting
where One Nation directed preferences to the Coalition. It offers a guide to
the next Queensland election, the state having recently returned to full
preferential voting, and a potential guide to the next Federal election.’[178]
Appendix: seats
won by each party for the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council
Table 4: Number of seats won by
party in the Legislative Assembly
Party |
Number
of Seats Won |
Animal
Justice Party |
0 |
Australian
Christians |
0 |
Daylight
Saving Party |
0 |
Family
First |
0 |
Fluoride
Free WA |
0 |
Flux
The System! |
0 |
Independent |
0 |
Julie
Matheson for Western Australia |
0 |
Liberal
Democrats |
0 |
Liberal
Party |
13 |
Micro
Business Party |
0 |
Pauline
Hanson's One Nation |
0 |
Shooters,
Fishers and Farmers |
0 |
Socialist
Alliance |
0 |
The
Greens (WA) |
0 |
The
Nationals |
5 |
WA
Labor |
41 |
No
Party Designation |
0 |
|
59 |
Source: Western Australian
Electoral Commission, 2017 State General Election: Legislative Assembly
Elected Members.
Table 5: Number of seats won by party
in the Legislative Council
Party |
Number
of Seats |
Animal
Justice Party |
0 |
Australian
Christians |
0 |
Daylight
Saving Party |
0 |
Family
First |
0 |
Fluoride
Free WA |
0 |
Flux
The System! |
0 |
Independent |
0 |
Julie
Matheson for Western Australia |
0 |
Liberal
Democrats |
1 |
Liberal
Party |
9 |
Micro
Business Party |
0 |
Pauline
Hanson's One Nation |
3 |
Shooters,
Fishers and Farmers |
1 |
Socialist
Alliance |
0 |
The
Greens (WA) |
4 |
The
Nationals |
4 |
WA
Labor |
14 |
No
Party Designation |
0 |
|
36 |
Source: Western Australian Electoral
Commission, 2017 State General Election: Legislative Council
Elected Members.
[1] R Lundie, ‘So
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[2] Western
Australian Electoral Commission, Election
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[3] Western
Australian Electoral Commission, Review
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[4] A Green, Western
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[5] A Green, Western
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[6] E Laschon, WA
election: Online voting rolled out to let some cast secret ballot at home,
ABC News, 23 February 2017.
[7] E Laschon, WA
election: Boom in pre-polling due to 'modern lifestyles, employment', ABC
News, 1 March 2017.
[8] M Bamford, WA
election: Aboriginal candidates for both major parties in first for WA seat of
Kimberley, ABC News, 26 February 2017.
[9] B Holmes, Western
Australian State Election 2013, Background Note, Parliamentary Library,
Canberra, 2 May 2013, pp.24–26.
[10] B Holmes, Western
Australian State Election 2013, Background Note, Parliamentary Library,
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[11] A Green, Western
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[12] A Green, Western
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[13] A Green, Western
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[15] A Green, Final
2017 WA Election Results plus a New Electoral Pendulum, Antony Green’s
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[16] Western
Australian Electoral Commission, 2017
State General Election : Election Report, p.19.
[17] A Green, Final
2017 WA Election Results plus a New Electoral Pendulum, Antony Green’s
Election Blog, 30 March 2017. Green notes that final figures will be available
at a later date.
[18] W Bowe, With
extreme two-party swings getting worse, has our electoral system become too
unstable? Crikey Insider, 17 March 2017.
[19] A Green, Final
2017 WA Election Results plus a New Electoral Pendulum, Antony Green’s
Election Blog, 30 March 2017.
[20] W Bowe, Poll
Bludger: making sense of the WA election, Crikey Insider, 13 March 2017.
[21] A Green, Final
2017 WA Election Results plus a New Electoral Pendulum, Antony Green’s
Election Blog, 30 March 2017.
[22] A Green, Final
2017 WA Election Results plus a New Electoral Pendulum, Antony Green’s
Election Blog, 30 March 2017.
[23] A Green, Final
2017 WA Election Results plus a New Electoral Pendulum, Antony Green’s
Election Blog, 30 March 2017.
[24] A Green, Final
2017 WA Election Results plus a New Electoral Pendulum, Antony Green’s
Election Blog, 30 March 2017.
[25] Western Australian
Electoral Commission, 2017
State general election: Legislative Council – Candidates by region and party.
[26] A Green, Final
2017 WA Election Results plus a New Electoral Pendulum, Antony Green’s
Election Blog, 30 March 2017.
[27] A Green, Final
2017 WA Election Results plus a New Electoral Pendulum, Antony Green’s
Election Blog, 30 March 2017.
[28] L Gartry, WA
election: Micro party preference deal could take five seats in Upper House,
ABC News, 15 February 2017.
[29] A O’Connor, WA
election: Joe Francis loses seat, says Liberals 'in denial' as Mike Nahan firms
for leadership, ABC News, 15 March 2017.
[30] A O’Connor, WA
election: Joe Francis loses seat, says Liberals 'in denial' as Mike Nahan firms
for leadership, ABC News, 15 March 2017.
[31] J Strutt WA
election: Liberals pick former Jeff Kennett chief of staff to lead campaign
review, ABC News 5 April 2017.
[32] J Kagi, WA
election: Mark McGowan's Labor Party sweeps Colin Barnett's Liberal-National
Government out of office, ABC News, 12 March 2017.
[33] Western
Australian Electoral Commission, 2017
WA state general election timeline.
[34] A Green, Western
Australian Election Preview, ABC News.
[35] A O’Connor, WA
Liberals wield double-edged sword as they target Labor's election promise
costings, ABC News, 5 March 2017.
[36] A O’Connor
and J Kagi, WA
election: Debt woes, Metronet and One Nation candidate mark campaign trail,
ABC News, 9 February 2017. Other indicators of a weaker economy were: wages
were the slowest-growing in Australia, commercial rents predicted to fall
across Perth CBD, engineering works the lowest since June 2008, and new car
sales lowest since June 2004. S Wright, WA
Budget a bucket of woe, West Australian, 27 February 2017, p.6.
[37] J Kagi, WA
debt explained: How bad is it and what are the major parties promising to do
about it? ABC News, 9 February 2017.
[38] A O’Connor, WA
election: Labor pledges no new taxes, Premier still looking for action on GST
floor, ABC News 21 February 2017.
[39] A Burrell, Libs
need last-gasp deal with Hanson, Australian, 3 February 2017, p.5.
[40] A O’Connor, Labor
claims Water Corp will be sold off if Liberals are re-elected on Saturday,
ABC News, 7 March 2017.
[41] J Kagi, WA
debt explained: How bad is it and what are the major parties promising to do
about it? ABC News, 9 February 2017.
[42] S Wright, WA
Budget a bucket of woe, West Australian, 27 February 2017, p.6.
[43] A O’Connor, WA
election: Liberals escalate pressure over Labor costings, ABC News, 2 March
2017; J Kagi, WA
election: Labor plan to slash debt criticised by Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, ABC News, 13 February 2017.
[44] A O’Connor, WA
election: Brendon Grylls says major parties' budget strategies are flawed,
ABC News, 28 February 2017.
[45] A O’Connor, WA
election: Brendon Grylls says major parties' budget strategies are flawed,
ABC News, 28 February 2017.
[46] A O’Connor, WA
election: Mike Nahan, Ben Wyatt offer to resign if their parties break promises,
ABC News, 8 February 2017.
[47] P Taylor, BHP,
Rio go on mine tax attack. Australian, 3 February 2017, p.5. W Bowe Crikey
Poll Bludger: the party with the cojones to take on the mining fat cats is ...
the Nationals? Crikey, 3 March 2017.
[48] E Laschon, WA
Election: Royalties for Regions stoush between Nationals and Liberals on
election eve, ABC News, 9 March 2017.
[49] E Laschon, WA
Election: Royalties for Regions stoush between Nationals and Liberals on
election eve, ABC News, 9 March 2017.
[50] A O’Connor, WA
election: Brendon Grylls says major parties' budget strategies are flawed,
ABC News, 28 February 2017.
[51] C Lewis, What
is Roe 8 and why has it become a vote-winning issue in WA? Crikey, 10
February 2017.
[52] A O’Connor, Perth
Freight Link: FOI documents revealing cost blowout outdated, Government says,
ABC News, 23 February 2017.
[53] A O’Connor, WA
election: Mike Nahan, Ben Wyatt offer to resign if their parties break promises,
ABC News, 8 February 2017.
[54] J Kagi, Roe
8: What are the implications at the WA election of scrapping the heavy haulage
route? ABC News, 4 January 2017.
[55] C Lewis, What
is Roe 8 and why has it become a vote-winning issue in WA? Crikey, 10
February 2017.
[56] D Weber, WA
election: Roe 8 royal commission needed to probe 'every element' of project,
critics say, ABC News, 27 February 2017, accessed 27 February 2017.
[57] Sunday
and public holiday penalty rates will be reduced for hospitality, retail
workers, Fair Work Commission rules, ABC News, 24 February 2017.
[58] J Kagi and A
O’Connor, WA
election: Barnett wants to cut Sunday penalty rates for state workers, ABC
News, 24 February 2017.
[59] J Kagi and A
O’Connor, WA
election: Barnett wants to cut Sunday penalty rates for state workers, ABC
News, 24 February 2017.
[60] A O’Connor
and J Kagi, WA
election: Jobs, debt and pumping tunes at Liberals' and Labor's launch events,
ABC News, 19 February 2017.
[61] A O’Connor
and J Kagi, WA
election: Jobs, debt and pumping tunes at Liberals' and Labor's launch events,
ABC News, 19 February 2017.
[62] A O’Connor
and J Kagi, WA
election: Jobs, debt and pumping tunes at Liberals' and Labor's launch events.
ABC News, 19 February 2017.
[63] A O’Connor
and J Kagi, WA
election: Jobs, debt and pumping tunes at Liberals' and Labor's launch events.
ABC News, 19 February 2017.
[64] G Adshead and
D Caporn, Payroll
policy to curb FIFO demand, Weekend West, 18 February 2017, p.4.
[65] D Weber, WA
election: Greens say One Nation preference deal will lose Liberals votes,
ABC News, 11 February 2017.
[66] A O’Connor, WA
election: 'Aggressive' focus on credibility in only leaders' debate, ABC
News, 22 February 2017.
[67] A O’Connor, WA
election: 'Aggressive' focus on credibility in only leaders' debate, ABC
News, 22 February 2017.
[68] A O’Connor, WA
election: 'Aggressive' focus on credibility in only leaders' debate, ABC
News, 22 February 2017.
[69] A O’Connor, WA
election: 'Aggressive' focus on credibility in only leaders' debate, ABC
News, 22 February 2017.
[70] A O’Connor, WA
election: 'Aggressive' focus on credibility in only leaders' debate, ABC
News, 22 February 2017.
[71] A O’Connor, WA
election: 'Aggressive' focus on credibility in only leaders' debate, ABC News,
22 February 2017.
[72] E Laschon, WA
election: Euthanasia, Safe Schools hot topics as Liberal, Labor leaders face
Christian voters, ABC News, 24 February 2017.
[73] WA
election: Leaked emails, fish and dogs on the hustings, ABC News, 1 March
2017.
[74] WA
election: Former leaders, law and order, and offensive tweets on campaign
hustings, ABC News, 16 February 2017.
[75] M Knott, Turnbull
to miss election campaign after ‘disaster’ visit, Sun Herald, 5 March,
p.15.
[76] M Knott, Turnbull
to miss election campaign after ‘disaster’ visit, Sun Herald, 5 March,
p.15.
[77] N Mast, Labor
wins WA in a landslide as One Nation fails to land a blow, The
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[78] H Sorensen, Dignitaries
arrive in Top End for bombing services, Northern Territory News, 18
February 2017, p.15.
[79] M Knott, Turnbull
to miss election campaign after ‘disaster’ visit, Sun Herald, 5 March,
p.15.
[80] L Barbour, Barnaby
Joyce says Queensland election could be called any day now, ABC News, 17
February 2017.
[81] WA
election: Drugs, medical research and housing help for older homeowners,
ABC News, 21 February 2017.
[82] P Coorey, Coalition
braces for backlash, AFR Weekend, 11 March 2017, p.1.
[83] A O’Connor, WA
election: Bob Hawke calls for unity as Labor rallies for final campaign week,
ABC News, 5 March 2017.
[84] WA
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