While Labor’s victory surpassed expectations, discontent was evident in regional areas. Many country voters shifted away from the party, leading to at least three regional seats changing hands.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00While Perth voters chose largely to stay with Labor, across rural Western Australia there
00:09was a mood for change.
00:11I think front of mind was keep the sheep.
00:13That was a big issue for me.
00:15Yeah, the keep the sheep issue definitely influences my priorities.
00:20It's the sheep industry really.
00:23We just feel left out, ignored, yeah.
00:26The votes are still being counted in Labor's Jane Kelby seat, which takes in Margaret River
00:32to Denmark.
00:33Warren Blackwood was Conservative for 32 years.
00:35Me coming in in 2021 and switching it to red was an incredible feat, but you know, the
00:41state went red.
00:42And so I think there was always going to be a bit of a swim backwards towards the Conservatives,
00:47but I hope I can still hold on.
00:48The Nationals candidate who's leading the count says the regional voter backlash has
00:53been building over issues like the shutdown of native timber harvesting, the ban on live
00:59sheep exports and gun control legislation.
01:02You know, we've had a lot of things done to our region and not for our region, and I think
01:06a lot of us that's been living in Warren Blackwood are a bit fed up with being treated like second
01:11class citizens.
01:12And the Royalties to Regions program was something that seemed to touch people's nerves out there.
01:16Well, that's all but gone as far as the people are concerned, and I think they're back to
01:20a position of feeling a little missed out, and I think that's played out somewhat in
01:24this election, particularly Albany and Warren Blackwood and probably Geraldton and Kalgoorlie
01:28and some of those other seats where we are seeing a shift back to the Conservatives.
01:32The seat of Albany held by Labor since 2001 looks set to fall, but it will be a fight
01:38between the Liberals and Nationals.
01:41Labor has also suffered a defeat in Geraldton.
01:44Regional Western Australia has turned its back on Labor because Labor has turned its
01:48back on regional WA.
01:50In the Pilbara, Labor's Kevin Michel looks like being returned with a smaller margin
01:55and admits there's work to do.
01:57I'm a little bit kind of thinking actually where we kind of missed something because
02:05I expected actually a much better result.
02:08In Kalgoorlie, Labor has its nose in front, but the Liberal candidate remains hopeful.
02:13If Kalgoorlie have voted and want that change, I will be that strong advocate and that voice
02:18at the table for them, making sure that we undo those years of neglect under this Labor
02:22government.
02:23Obviously in the regions you've got a couple of issues which did gain some traction, and
02:28from that perspective that will provide us with an opportunity to reflect on those and
02:33see if there's any learnings from that.
02:34Final counting should be completed early in the week.