Libby Mettam: Labors priorities are off target

Last weekend I launched the WA Liberal Party’s blueprint for government, Building a Better Future.

It draws the battle lines for the election, laying the groundwork to give West Australians a real choice.

On the one hand, there is the option of a second decade of a tired, incompetent Labor Government that thinks you’re an idiot for wanting a tax cut, whose idea of cost-of-living relief is taxpayer-funded tickets to the zoo, who invests more in ports than hospitals, and who are obsessed with their pet project.

On the other, a Liberal team focused on the issues that matter to you, who supports your aspirations, and who gets the basics right.

At the March 2025 election, the WA Liberals will offer West Australians the opportunity to fix our hospitals, crack down on crime, lower living costs, build more homes, and restore regional services.

The Liberal Party’s priorities look to the future and how our State of over 3 million people can prosper and grow.

All West Australians deserve to prosper.

The Cook Government has the wrong priorities and, if you don’t live near a train line, chances are you’ve seen nothing tangible from the unprecedented wealth our natural resources and generous GST returns have bestowed on the Government.

Even in the tough economic environment of low GST returns and falling iron ore royalties, the previous Liberal government built two tertiary hospitals, a world-class stadium, a rail line to the airport, and a new riverfront precinct.

This week, I announced the Liberal Party’s elective surgery guarantee.

The policy, developed in consultation with the private sector and supported by both the Australian Medical Association and Day Hospitals Australia, proposes the State Government leases existing private hospital surgical capacity to ensure West Australians receive their surgery within the medically recommended timeframe.

Currently, almost 20 per cent of people waiting for surgery are waiting beyond the medically recommended time.

Shadow housing minister Steve Martin has also announced the Liberal Party’s policy for a tax cut to help first-home buyers.

It would have been reasonable to think parliamentary debate this week would centre on the Cook Government’s own priorities and plans to tackle our failing health system, get people into houses, keep people safe, and ensure everyone can afford healthy food.

Instead, these Liberal Party policy announcements prompted some highly triggered Cook Labor Government ministers to leap to their feet this week in an attempt to defend themselves, while ignoring the elephant in the room — their own record.

Roger Cook’s Health Minister came out to attack the elective surgery guarantee but ended up taking an each-way bet.

First, Amber-Jade Sanderson said she had already thought up the idea and the Liberals had stolen it from her. Then she said it was an “absolutely pathetic” policy.

Meanwhile, she told Parliament about her track record in health, conveniently forgetting ambulance ramping has increased by more than 800 per cent, elective surgery wait lists are up by more than 50 per cent, 10,000 children are waiting to see a paediatrician, and seven of the eight worst performing emergency departments are in WA.

Then there were the histrionics of the Housing Minister trying to defend his record.

John Carey resorted to rote repetition of the litany of failed initiatives and thought bubbles that have been a feature of his ministry and have delivered an average net gain of just 1.7 new social housing properties each month, an 18 per cent increase in the waiting list for social housing, a 113 per cent increase in rough sleepers, an 8 per cent increase in homelessness, and a 76 per cent increase in the median rent.

At one point the minister urged members to “get into” Summer Touch Booty Balm at only $9.95 from Aldi if they wanted “something satisfying”.

I’m not sure that Summer Touch Booty Balm — even at the apparent bargain price of $9.95 — is on the shopping list for the thousands of West Australians living without a roof over their head tonight. I am sure, however, that Mr Carey has no idea how to fix the deepening housing crisis in WA.

It was clear that more of the same is all the Cook Government has to offer West Australians at the March 2025 election.

The Government’s shambolic response to Building a Better Future was best summed up by Ms Sanderson when she said: “the whole document is littered with ideas the Opposition likes.”

Yes. These are ideas we like because we have been listening and engaging with West Australians and we know they are ideas that are good for West Australians.

Libby Mettam is the leader of the Liberal Party