Editorial: Western Australia the kingmaker again as election heats up

Warm in the afterglow of their 2022 election victory, plenty of exuberant Labor types felt confident enough to make bold predictions about the future of their party in the State.

WA would remain a Labor fortress for years to come, such was the strength of the western red wave and voters’ repudiation of the Coalition.

After all, a mammoth four seats switched allegiances to Labor, courtesy of a 10 per cent swing.

The Liberals even lost Curtin (albeit to a teal independent in Kate Chaney).

The Coalition were cooked in the West and Labor could settle into a long period in Government, thanks in large part to the State’s continuing electoral support.

Fast forward three years and we can see just how wrong they were.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton believes his path to the Lodge lies directly through WA.

The Liberals are confident they can take back Tangney and Curtin.

The newly created electorate of Bullwinkel is also firmly in play, drawing in voters from Durack, O’Connor, Hasluck, Swan, Canning and Burt.

“I think on election night we’ll be looking west to see the results,” Mr Dutton said during a trip to Perth on Tuesday.

“If we can change some of these seats, and Matt Moran can become the member for Bullwinkel, we can win. I think we can win the election but there’s a long way to go between now and then.”

Mr Dutton’s trip West coincided in part with a visit by Anthony Albanese, as both leaders compete to win West Australian voters’ favour.

This round went to Mr Dutton, whose message that Labor’s damaging Nature Positive legislation poses a grave threat to WA jobs and industry will resonate with voters concerned about the state of the economy.

So too will his promise to cut government waste.

The Prime Minister’s shorter visit — just 14 hours in total — was rightly dominated by events to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

No doubt Labor strategists are already planning a return trip.

Separated as we are from the centres of power in the east by the Nullarbor, West Australians are used to being treated as an afterthought by our leaders.

So it’s refreshing to be on the receiving end of a deserved wooing for a change.

And Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton are both getting very good at jetting into town, shaking some hands, offering some platitudes about our importance to the nation and then taking off again.

But West Australians want more than FIFO governance.

The election campaign proper is yet to kick off, though you’d be excused for thinking otherwise.

It’s going to be a long tough slog unless they find a way to talk to voters about the stuff that matters.

Both parties have shown they understand how crucial the State is to their electoral fortunes. Now they need to prove they understand what makes us tick.