The Cook Labor Government has again proven powerless to influence its federal colleagues, as two major Canberra reforms threaten investment in Western Australia’s resources sector.
Shadow Minister for Mines, Petroleum and Exploration Lachlan Hunter MP said WA Labor has talked tough about protecting Western Australia from Canberra’s proposed national gas reservation scheme and changes to capital gains tax, but had failed to secure the protections WA needs.
Mr Hunter said that despite Premier Roger Cook calling for Western Australia to be carved out of the Commonwealth’s national gas reservation scheme, the Federal Government’s latest proposal did not provide WA with a guaranteed, legislated exemption.
“Western Australia asked for certainty. Instead, Canberra has left the door open to interference in a gas market WA has spent decades building,” Mr Hunter said.
“The Premier can issue all the press releases he likes, but they mean nothing if his Labor colleagues in Canberra simply ignore him.
“WA should have a clear, legislated carve-out, not an exemption that may ultimately depend on the discretion of a Federal Minister.
“Roger Cook wants Western Australians to believe he is standing up to Canberra, but all he has demonstrated is how little influence WA Labor carries within its own party.”
Mr Hunter said the same humiliating pattern was now emerging over Federal Labor’s controversial capital gains tax changes.
The Albanese Government has moved to provide concessions for eligible innovative businesses and start-ups, while junior mineral explorers have not been given a specific equivalent pathway.
The Minerals Council of Australia has warned the changes could reduce investor returns from successful junior exploration investments by at least 19 per cent and make it harder for explorers to attract capital.
“Even WA’s new Mines Minister, Daniel Pastorelli, has now publicly called on his federal Labor colleagues to rethink these changes,” Mr Hunter said.
“But once again, WA Labor appears to hold absolutely no sway with its federal counterparts.
“The pattern is becoming embarrassingly familiar: WA Labor tells Western Australians it disagrees with Canberra, Canberra ignores it and pushes ahead, and Western Australia is left to carry the consequences.
“If Roger Cook and Daniel Pastorelli cannot secure a fair hearing from members of their own party, what hope do they have of securing the outcomes our State deserves?
“Junior explorers are the lifeblood of our mining industry. Today’s exploration creates tomorrow’s mines, jobs, exports and royalties. At a time when we should be fighting for every dollar of exploration investment, Canberra is changing the tax settings while handing concessions to other sectors.
“Western Australia drives the national economy through its resources sector. We should not have to continually beg Canberra not to damage the industries that generate the jobs, investment and royalties our State relies on.
“Roger Cook and Daniel Pastorelli need to stop merely telling Western Australians they disagree with Canberra and start delivering actual outcomes.
“Tough words in Perth are worthless when WA Labor’s federal colleagues treat them as background noise. Western Australia needs a government prepared to put our State ahead of Labor Party ideology, and with enough influence to make Canberra listen.”
Deputy Leader of The Nationals WA Peter Rundle MLA has called on the State Government to ensure its procurement policies support Western Australian manufacturing and regional jobs, by prioritising WA built buses for regional school transport services.
Mr Rundle said the Cook Government could not continue promoting its Made in WA agenda while procurement settings were driving operators toward cheaper, imported buses.
“The Premier regularly talks about supporting WA industry and local manufacturing but, when it comes to our regional school bus fleet, his Government’s procurement policies are helping imported buses replace vehicles built for Western Australian conditions,” Mr Rundle said.
“The iconic orange school buses that service our regional communities carry thousands of students every day, often across long distances and on challenging roads. If the Government is serious about backing WA industry, it should be ensuring procurement policies support buses built for the conditions they operate in and the communities they serve.”
Mr Rundle said changes to the way the Public Transport Authority awards School Bus Service contracts had placed greater emphasis on competitive tendering and upfront costs.
“Operators tell me it is becoming increasingly difficult to justify purchasing Australian-built buses when lower cost imported options provide a significant advantage during the tender process. While a cheaper purchase price may look attractive in the short term, there are legitimate questions about whether the current system properly considers durability, longevity and whole-of-life value.”
Mr Rundle said operators were concerned the procurement process was favouring the cheapest option at the expense of local manufacturing and vehicles designed for regional conditions.
“Western Australia has manufacturers capable of producing buses that meet the standards required for regional school transport and are designed to operate on the roads found throughout country WA,” he said.
“Every government procurement decision should consider not only the upfront cost, but also the economic benefits of supporting local jobs, local businesses and local manufacturing.”
Mr Rundle said the recent review of the State’s procurement framework provided the Government with an opportunity to align its actions with its rhetoric on supporting Western Australian industry.
“The Cook Government talks a lot about Made in WA. This is its chance to put those words into action,” Mr Rundle said.
“Regional school bus contracts should support Western Australian manufacturing and jobs, not encourage imported alternatives. Our iconic orange school buses should showcase local industry, yet while Perth’s green buses are locally built, country students are riding in cheaper, lower-quality buses made overseas.”
“If WA-built products are good enough for the Government’s media releases, they should be good enough for the orange school buses carrying our kids to and from school every day.”
Nationals WA MP and Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Hon Rob Horstman MLC has called on the Cook Labor Government to explain how Western Australia’s emergency medical retrieval system will manage the additional demand created by locating the new Women and Babies Hospital away from Perth Children’s Hospital.
Mr Horstman said yesterday’s announcement of a new Newborn Emergency Transfer Service (NETS) hub at Murdoch highlighted how heavily the Government’s model would rely on emergency transfers.
“The Government is effectively acknowledging that transferring critically ill newborns between hospitals will be an unavoidable part of this model,” Mr Horstman said.
“These are not routine transfers. We are talking about some of the sickest and most vulnerable babies in Western Australia, where minutes can matter.”
The Government says NETS already transfers approximately 1,100 sick newborns and young infants each year and has announced a dedicated NETS hub at the new Murdoch hospital, alongside an expansion of the existing service at Perth Children’s Hospital.
Medical professionals have continued to raise concerns about separating maternity services from specialist paediatric care, with the Australian Medical Association WA estimating between 100 and 200 babies each year could require transfer from Murdoch to Perth Children’s Hospital.
Mr Horstman said the key issue was whether the Government had properly planned and resourced the retrieval network it was increasingly relying upon.
“We need to know how many additional transfers are anticipated, what extra specialist crews and vehicles will be required, and what contingency arrangements are in place when multiple critical cases occur at the same time.
“This is particularly important when the Government is pointing to Murdoch’s proximity to Jandakot Airport and retrieval services as an advantage for regional patients.
“Regional families already understand better than most what it means to depend on emergency medical transport to access specialist care in Perth.
“We cannot keep adding pressure to the retrieval network without ensuring the people, aircraft, vehicles and specialist resources are there to support it.
“This is not about the dedicated professionals who deliver these services every day. It is about whether the Cook Labor Government is providing the capacity and support needed to meet growing demand.”
Mr Horstman said the additional investment in neonatal services was welcome, but it should not be used to avoid legitimate questions about emergency transfer capacity.
“Western Australian parents deserve confidence that if their baby needs urgent specialist care, the system has the people, equipment and resources to respond immediately.
“The Cook Labor Government should release the modelling behind its transfer assumptions and explain how NETS, RFDS and the broader retrieval network will be supported from day one.”
Shadow Minister for Mines, Petroleum and Exploration Lachlan Hunter MP has demanded the Cook Labor Government immediately clarify its position on uranium mining, after the Minister refused to deny in Parliament that Labor was reconsidering its ban.
During Question Time yesterday, the Minister for Mines, Petroleum and Exploration Daniel Pastorelli confirmed he had recently met with Cauldron Energy, which is exploring for uranium south of Onslow. Cauldron Energy has received up to $167,750 in taxpayer funding towards uranium exploration programs worth $335,500.
Mr Hunter said the Minister had failed to explain why the Government was subsidising uranium exploration while maintaining a policy that prevented new uranium discoveries from being developed.
“Commercial exploration companies are not drilling out of some altruistic desire to tell the Cook Government what lies beneath Western Australia,” Mr Hunter said.
“They invest in exploration to discover commercially viable resources that can ultimately be mined and developed to deliver returns to shareholders. The Cook Government is now using taxpayers’ money to help a commercial company find and define uranium resources, while simultaneously telling that company it cannot develop what it discovers.
“That is an incoherent position, and the Minister’s refusal to rule out a policy change is farcical.”
When asked directly whether the Government was reconsidering its uranium ban, the Minister refused to answer, instead defending Labor’s funding of mineral exploration.
“If the ban remains Labor’s policy, the Minister should have been able to say so clearly and unequivocally,” Mr Hunter said.
“He was given a direct opportunity to rule out a change and refused to do it. Western Australians are entitled to know whether this was deliberate ambiguity, a policy shift under consideration or, more likely, a Minister who does not understand his own Government’s position.”
Mr Hunter said The Opposition supported lifting Labor’s outdated ban and allowing uranium proposals to be considered on their individual merits through Western Australia’s stringent environmental, safety and regulatory approval processes.
“The Opposition’s position is clear: uranium mining should be permitted where a project can meet the same rigorous environmental, safety and regulatory standards expected of other mining developments,” he said.
“The Cook Government’s position is now the one nobody can explain—not even its own Mines Minister.”
Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Hon Julie Freeman MLC, has slammed the government for continuing to ignore regional health concerns, following repeated delays in transferring patients with serious medical conditions, including children.
“Yesterday we heard the shocking story of a ten-year-old Karratha boy who had already spent six days in hospital waiting for an RFDS flight to Perth for surgery. Today, another alarming case has emerged: an eight-year-old East Kimberley boy with serious head injuries took two days to get to Perth, after similar delays.”
These examples expose the Cook Labor Government’s failure to resource regional health and patient retrieval services. Ms Freeman said regional families should be able to expect timely access to care, regardless of where they live.
“Any delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment results in prolonged suffering and delayed recovery. The Cook Labor Government must prioritise either ensuring the medical treatment regional families need is available where they live, or ensuring prompt transfer to the nearest facility with the expertise required.
“Anything less is unacceptable. Regional Western Australians are tired of being an afterthought for this government. They deserve a health system that gets them the care they need, when they need it, just like in Perth.”
Ms Freeman said these two cases were symptomatic of a broader failure to deliver adequate regional health services.
“For families in regional WA, distance can already mean the difference between accessing care locally and having to travel hundreds or thousands of kilometres. Regional families should not be left waiting days for the care their children need.”
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Hon Rob Horstman MLC said the delay pointed to a retrieval system stretched well beyond its capacity.
“This is not about blaming the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Their crews do extraordinary work every single day across an enormous State,” Mr Horstman said.
“This is about asking whether they have been given the resources and capacity necessary to meet the demands being placed upon them. The State Government needs to explain what it is doing to ensure RFDS and regional patient retrieval services have sufficient aircraft, crews, backup capacity and funding to meet demand.”
Shadow Minister for Road Safety Hon Julie Freeman MLC has today questioned the Minister for Police on whether WA Police have the resources to prosecute the growing number of disputed fines generated by the Cook Labor Government’s AI road safety camera rollout.
Ms Freeman said the decision by police prosecutors to abandon hundreds of cases because there was “no reasonable prospect” of securing a conviction raises serious questions about the Government’s management of the program.
“Today I asked the Minister to explain how many AI camera infringements have been withdrawn after motorists challenged them in court, why prosecutors concluded some cases had no reasonable prospect of conviction, what evidentiary flaws were identified, and what safeguards are now in place to stop unsupported infringements being issued in the future.
“The Minister’s response, or lack of, was very concerning. I asked a straightforward question about how many of these matters are being abandoned, yet the Minister says an answer cannot be provided because of ‘… the complexity of the question’.
“If the Government cannot provide basic information about how many cases are being withdrawn and why, how can Western Australians have confidence in this system?” Ms Freeman said.
WA Police are already under significant pressure, and this is another indication of the demands being placed on an already stretched Police Force.
“The Cook Labor Government must ensure road users are not paying the price for an enforcement system that places additional pressure on police and court resources.
“If police prosecutors are deciding these matters cannot be successfully prosecuted, motorists are entitled to ask why the fines were issued in the first place. And if these fines cannot stand up in court, what does the Government say to the thousands of Western Australians who simply paid up rather than challenge them?
“Those motorists followed the rules, paid their fine and accepted the consequences. Now they are watching others having identical fines withdrawn. That’s a serious question of fairness the Government cannot ignore.”
The latest revelations add to mounting scrutiny of the Cook Labor Government’s AI road safety camera program. In April 2026, authorities confirmed that about 2,000 seatbelt infringements worth more than $1.1 million had been withdrawn within six months of the cameras being introduced, with most appeals succeeding. During that period, more than 53,000 seatbelt infringement notices were issued.
A significant number of withdrawn fines involved claims that passengers, including children and people with disabilities, were not wearing seatbelts correctly. Critics described the appeals process as lengthy and burdensome, arguing it placed an unfair strain on motorists seeking to overturn disputed infringements.
“These cameras were sold as a road safety solution, but thousands of overturned fines and hundreds of abandoned prosecutions tell a different story. Western Australians deserve a system that is fair, accurate and focused on saving lives, not one that leaves motorists and taxpayers paying the price for Government failures.”
Member for Geraldton Kirrilee Warr MLA has urged the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to keep their discussions surrounding dust in Geraldton transparent, to ensure the community can be confident in the solutions.
On Wednesday, reports emerged indicating DWER was engaging with the Mid West Port Authority and Karara Mining around the dust, after the investigation found magnetite was identified as a factor for dust pollution in Geraldton.
Ms Warr said the community deserved to be informed of any changes.
“The Department’s update is important because the community has for the most part been left in the dark about where the investigation is at,” she said.
“As we enter Geraldton’s windiest months, it’s important for a plan to be in place and for the community to be aware of what is happening.
“I urge the Department to be transparent with any changes to ensure the Geraldton community has confidence there will be a long-term solution.”
Ms Warr said questions raised from The Nationals WA forced the Environment Minister’s hand in finding a solution.
“Geraldton residents know this issue has been ongoing for years, but only now has the State Government decided to act,” she said.
“We raised this issue and asked questions in the Budget Estimates process, and only after then was an investigation conducted.
“The Cook Labor Government says it is listening and I hope the concerns of Geraldton will be heard and acted upon going forward.”
The Minister for Commerce has refused to provide meaningful support to Western Australian families impacted by the collapse of Bella Modular, and failed to explain how it would close loopholes that leave customers of modular builders exposed.
Leader of The Nationals WA Shane Love MLA, today raised concerns on behalf of impacted Bella Modular customers in Parliament, many of whom have lost their life savings, questioning the lack of home indemnity insurance for modular builds.
“While the Minister for Housing is spruiking modular housing on social media as the future of building, this Government is failing to ensure basic protections are in place for families when things go wrong,” Mr Love said.
“Following the collapse of Bella Modular, I have heard heartbreaking stories from single parents, cancer survivors and families who engaged this builder in good faith, only to be left facing devastating financial losses.
“For some families, the losses run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, leaving them with enormous debts and no home to show for it. Reports indicate almost 60 WA families have been caught up in the collapse, with over $4 million owed to customers, contractors and suppliers.
“Yet, when I asked the Minister for Commerce what this Government was going to do to protect these families and prevent it happening again, he had no answers.”
Mr Love condemned the Minister’s response to affected Bella Modular customers, after he pointed to customers’ responsibility to understand the terms of their contracts.
“Blaming families for not reading the fine print is an extraordinary response from a Commerce Minister whose job is to ensure consumers are properly protected.
“The Minister should be explaining why the regulatory system failed these families, not lecturing them about their contracts.”
Mr Love said the Minister had also failed to explain why he would not close a loophole that allows some modular builders to operate without builders’ registration.
“It is difficult to understand why a family building a home should receive less protection simply because that home is constructed off-site.
“Modular builders still build homes. They still have to comply with building codes and construction standards. The Government should not allow a loophole in the registration system to leave families carrying all the risk.
“If modular housing really is the future of home building in WA, then the Government must make sure consumer protection is part of that future.”
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food Lachlan Hunter MP has accused the Cook Labor Government of being asleep at the wheel over drastic new phosphine exposure limits, warning the changes could have major consequences for Western Australia’s grain industry just months before harvest.
“The Cook Labor Government must urgently explain how Western Australia’s grain industry is expected to comply with the new limits, amid serious warnings from industry that implementing compliant systems before the 1 December deadline may be impractical and economically unviable,” Mr Hunter said.
From 1 December, the workplace exposure limit for phosphine will be slashed by more than 80 per cent, from 0.3 parts per million to just 0.05ppm.
“Last harvest, WA growers delivered more than 24 million tonnes into the CBH network, including a record 16.3 million tonnes stored under tarps in open bulkheads,” Mr Hunter said.
“CBH itself says 20 million tonne harvests are becoming the norm. Yet we are now less than three months from a dramatic regulatory change and, according to the Minister, the Government’s response is an education campaign. For an industry handling more than 20 million tonnes of grain a year, that simply isn’t good enough.
“The Minister says industry has had more than two years’ notice. The question is: what has her Government done with those two years to ensure these changes can be implemented safely and practically?
“Who has the Minister actually consulted, and what practical assessment has been done to determine whether these limits are achievable across WA’s grain supply chain? What modelling has been undertaken, what will compliance cost growers, and what happens during a record harvest if grain cannot be fumigated, cleared and moved quickly enough?”
Mr Hunter said that Grain Trade Australia has already warned that developing compliant systems at scale before the December deadline is impractical and economically unviable.
“This isn’t farmers complaining about change. These are serious warnings from the people responsible for storing, handling and exporting Australian grain. Phosphine is one of the most important tools our industry has to control insects in stored grain. Get pest management wrong and the consequences can flow through grain quality, quarantine, market access and exports.
“One grain weevil in the wrong parcel of grain can create a major problem. When WA is handling harvests north of 20 million tonnes, the Government cannot afford to get this wrong.
“Nobody is arguing against worker safety. Our growers and grain handlers want their workers to go home safely every day.
“But worker safety and a functioning grain industry are not mutually exclusive. Regulation has to be based on sound science and capable of actually working in a grain shed, silo or bulkhead, not just on a bureaucrat’s spreadsheet.
“Victoria has already recognised the practical concerns and provided additional time. The question is whether the Cook Labor Government has even properly examined what these changes mean for Western Australia.
“WA farmers have just delivered the biggest crop in our history. They should not have their success jeopardised because the Cook Labor Government failed to understand the practical realities of the industry it is regulating.
“The Minister needs to get around the table with WA’s grain industry immediately and, if these limits cannot be safely and practically implemented by 1 December, seek a deferral.”
Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Bevan Eatts MLA, says Western Australia cannot afford to be a bystander as the number of older Australians stuck in hospital waiting for aged care reaches crisis levels across the country.
New national figures show more than 3,600 Australians are now stranded in public hospitals waiting for aged care placements or support services, up from around 2,700 a year ago. In Western Australia, the number has increased from 230 to 423 patients in just 12 months.
Mr Eatts said the figures exposed a growing failure in the aged care and health systems, but warned WA could not simply blame Canberra while hospital pressures continued to worsen.
“Western Australia has seen the number of older people stuck in hospital nearly double, yet the Cook Government has no clear strategy to reduce demand before people reach crisis point,” Mr Eatts said.
“Of course, the Commonwealth must deliver more aged care places, more Support at Home packages and faster access to care. But WA also needs a plan of its own.
“Every older Western Australian occupying a hospital bed because they have nowhere else to go is a person who has been failed by the system, and every blocked bed means longer waits for patients needing hospital treatment.”
Nationally, health ministers have warned that growing aged care delays are contributing to bed block, emergency department congestion and increased pressure on elective surgery.
Mr Eatts said the State Government should be focused on keeping older Western Australians healthier and independent for longer through practical measures that reduce avoidable hospital admissions.
“Too often the debate starts when someone is already in a hospital bed. We need to start much earlier. A serious prevention strategy would include falls prevention programs, medication reviews, stronger primary care, improved access to allied health and community nursing, and support for home modifications that help people remain safe and independent.”
People aged 65 and over account for more than half of all hospital patient days in Australia, despite making up less than one-fifth of the population.
Mr Eatts said the Cook Government should publish regular WA-specific data on falls-related admissions, potentially preventable hospitalisations, repeat presentations and hospital bed days among older Western Australians.
“The Minister can tell us how many older people stuck waiting are to leave hospital. What she can’t tell us is whether the Government is doing enough to stop people ending up there in the first place.
“The reality is that WA cannot build its way out of this challenge. We need a prevention plan, an aged care plan and a hospital demand reduction plan working together.
“Canberra must fix aged care, but the Cook Government also has a responsibility to help older Western Australians stay healthy, stay independent and stay out of hospital wherever possible.”
Shadow Minister for Fisheries Kirrilee Warr MLA has questioned how the Fisheries Minister can confidently establish a Kalbarri fishing zone by 2028, saying key data the Minister relied upon to make these decisions may not be available as a result of the demersal fishing ban.
It comes following an ABC report on Thursday saying fishers did not believe the research underpinning their industry is up to standard amid a transition to quota management.
Previously, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has relied on data from the commercial fishing sector to determine stock levels.
Ms Warr said during Budget Estimates, it was confirmed that no formal stock assessment would take place in 2026 in the West Coast Bioregion.
“The Opposition asked questions around stock assessments and how data would be collected, and we were told there would be no formal stock assessments taking place this year,” she said.
“It is hypocritical of the Minister to close an industry based on the science but then decide to reopen the fishery based on the data. How can you manage something you are not measuring?
“This is a continuation of what we see from the Cook Labor Government: policy without a plan.”
Ms Warr said the Minister is happy to throw the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC) under the bus, despite the commercial sector proposing quota management years ago.
“Too often we see this Government act first, then ask questions later,” she said.
“The Minister blamed WAFIC and pitted the commercial sector against recreational fishers instead of bringing groups together to find a solution.
“The Minister’s own advisory group lacks a voice from the commercial sector, who could provide valuable insight into how a managed system could operate going forward.”
Ms Warr said there needed to be an explanation for the additional budget funding for fishing data.
“We have been told there is $5m budgeted for an ‘enhanced science program’ in the State Budget, but there is little detail provided to what this means,” she said.
“Why won’t the minister explain the program and how it will help assess demersal fish stocks?”
The Western Australian fisheries portfolio has become an absolute shambles under Labor, with three different Ministers in the past decade delivering shifting policies while funding for fisheries management, research and development has been repeatedly cut.
“Fisheries management must be based on sound science and evidence not political expediency, or the latest policy direction of whichever Minister happens to hold the portfolio.
“At the 2025 State Election, The Nationals WA made a clear commitment to return Fisheries to a standalone department with appropriate funding, ensuring fisheries management is properly underpinned by science and research.
“After a decade of Labor’s mismanagement, it is clear the current approach is not working.
“Labor simply cannot be trusted to properly manage Western Australia’s fisheries resources.”
Shadow Minister for Road Safety Julie Freeman MLC says WA Police are being forced to drop hundreds of AI camera seatbelt fines exposing the Cook Labor Government’s failure to properly manage the rollout.
“Police Commissioner Col Blanch has confirmed that hundreds of AI camera seatbelt infringements have been abandoned because there was ‘no reasonable prospect’ of securing a conviction,” Ms Freeman said.
“That is not a failure of policing. It is police exercising sound judgement with the laws and resources they have been given.
“The failure sits squarely with the Cook Labor Government, which rolled out this system without properly addressing the practical and legal issues that are now emerging.”
More than 81,000 seatbelt infringements have been issued since the AI cameras were switched on, with around 5,700 already overturned through the review process. WA Police have now confirmed hundreds more are being dropped after they are challenged.
“At what point does the Government admit this is more than a teething problem?” Ms Freeman said.
“With thousands of fines overturned and hundreds more abandoned, Western Australians are entitled to question whether this system was ready for rollout.
Ms Freeman said the consequences were being felt far beyond individual motorists.
“The Cook Labor Government has poured more than $100 million from the Road Trauma Trust Account into processing and administering the flood of infringements generated by these cameras.
“That is Road Trauma Trust Account money that could have gone to black spot upgrades, regional road improvements and driver education. Instead, it is being swallowed up by bureaucracy processing fines and appeals.”
Ms Freeman said the revelation is the latest sign of a Road Safety portfolio without direction.
“Jessica Stojkovski is now the fifth Minister for Road Safety this Government has had since 2017, and Western Australians are still waiting to hear what she intends to do differently to her predecessors to bring the road toll down.
“Rolling out more cameras is clearly not the answer when the Government can’t get the basics right on the cameras it already has.
“Western Australians support fair and effective road safety enforcement, not lengthy reviews and court battles over fines the Government ultimately cannot defend.
“The Minister must explain why police, court and Road Trauma Trust Account resources are being diverted to fix problems created by this rollout instead of supporting frontline road safety measures.
“Road safety policy should be about saving lives, not burdening drivers, police and the courts with the consequences of poor Government decision-making.”
Shadow Minister for Tourism Scott Leary MLA, has warned the Albanese Government’s mishandling of the Working Holiday Maker visa program risks leaving tourism and hospitality businesses across regional Western Australia short-staffed as they prepare for their busiest season of the year.
“Regional WA’s tourism industry depends on working holiday makers and, right now, the Albanese Government has thrown that workforce into uncertainty,” Mr Leary said.
“As we head into the warmer months, cafes, pubs, hotels, caravan parks, tour operators and accommodation providers across WA are gearing up for increased visitor numbers.
“The reality is, working holiday makers are the people serving meals, cleaning rooms, guiding tours and helping tourism businesses keep their doors open.
“In Broome, businesses are always looking for hospitality workers for their busy season. In Exmouth, whale shark and reef tourism operators rely on seasonal workers to help meet demand. Across the South West, Great Southern and Wheatbelt, hospitality venues are already struggling to find staff.
“If businesses can’t find workers, opening hours are cut, accommodation capacity is reduced, visitor experiences suffer and local operators lose income, impacting regional economies.”
Mr Leary said he had already raised the issue directly with the Premier in a recent Question Time, asking what the State Government was doing to stand up to its federal Labor colleagues, only to receive political attacks instead of answers.
“Regional businesses don’t need political point-scoring. They need the Premier to pick up the phone to Canberra and start fighting for Western Australia’s tourism industry.”
Working holiday makers contribute an estimated $4.68 billion to the Australian economy each year, including $726 million spent in regional communities. Their contribution extends well beyond the workplace, supporting local accommodation, hospitality, retail and tourism businesses.
“The Albanese Government needs to urgently clarify the future of this program and guarantee regional tourism businesses aren’t left to pay the price.
“If Canberra keeps fumbling this, it will be tourism operators, hospitality venues, accommodation providers, small businesses and regional communities across Western Australia that feel it.”
Mr Leary had a personal message for the Prime Minister: Next time you visit WA, you might have to pour your own beer!
The Nationals WA have called on the Albanese Government to urgently fix Australia’s Working Holiday Maker visa program, warning processing delays and application pauses risk leaving Western Australian farmers and regional businesses without the workers they need.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food Lachlan Hunter MP said the Federal Government’s decision to slow the processing of working holiday visas, alongside pauses affecting applications from numerous countries, could not have come at a worse time for regional WA.
“Harvest is approaching, and farmers across the Wheatbelt and regional WA need certainty about where their workforce is going to come from,” Mr Hunter said.
“Backpackers and working holiday makers have been part of the regional workforce for decades. They fill key seasonal jobs when farms and businesses need extra hands, often for relatively short periods.
“You cannot simply turn that workforce tap off, or slow it to a trickle, and expect regional Australia to absorb the impact.”
Mr Hunter said the consequences would extend well beyond the farm gate.
“When a backpacker comes to a Wheatbelt town for harvest, they’re not just working on a farm.
“They’re filling up at the local service station, buying dinner at the pub, shopping at the supermarket, staying in accommodation and spending their wages in local businesses. That money circulates through regional communities and supports jobs well beyond agriculture.”
Working holiday makers contributed an estimated $3.2 billion to the Australian economy in 2019, including at least $726 million spent in regional Australia.
Mr Hunter said WA farmers were already facing rising input costs, labour shortages, biosecurity pressures, seasonal uncertainty and increasing red tape.
“If a farmer cannot get enough workers when a crop is ready to come off, you cannot simply tell the crop to wait.”
Mr Hunter said the Albanese Government must immediately clarify the future of the program and guarantee that regional workforce requirements would be considered in any migration changes.
“Migration policy needs to recognise that the workforce requirements of regional Australia are fundamentally different from those of our capital cities,” Mr Hunter said.
“If Canberra wants to change migration numbers, regional farmers and small businesses should not become collateral damage.”
The Nationals WA have thrown their support behind ensuring the healthcare needs of Geraldton is met, with members passing a motion at the Party’s 2026 State Conference calling for funding for key resources at Geraldton Health Campus.
The motion calls for additional inpatient beds, onsite staff accommodation, a new community allied health building, and a publicly funded mammogram, CT and MRI service as part of the integrated cancer centre.
Member for Geraldton Kirrilee Warr MLA said the motion sent a clear message that improved healthcare in Geraldton requires a multi-faceted approach.
“The Geraldton Health Campus redevelopment was one of the most over-budget and delayed projects, and yet it still lacks the infrastructure needed to support our growing region,” Ms Warr said.
“The new facility is welcomed and the mental health unit will be a benefit for people in Geraldton, but without additional beds and improving the capacity to provide accommodation for healthcare workers, this facility may not see its full potential.”
Ms Warr acknowledged community concerns about stage one of the redevelopment and the new Emergency Department, but hoped the Minister would take on board some of the concerns.
“An important aspect of any project is to ensure it is fit for purpose, and feedback received to my office is that the ED has some flaws, particularly when it comes to privacy concerns in the public triage area,” she said.
“I stress this project and investment is welcomed as it can provide significant benefit for the community, but I hope the Minister can take the feedback onboard to help the hospital make improvements for patient-centred care.”
Ms Warr said while motions do not automatically become Party policy, they reflect the position of The Nationals WA’s grassroots membership and play an important role in shaping the Party’s future policy priorities.
“Health is one of the most important issues I hear from the community, and Geraldton residents deserve to access basic healthcare as close to home as possible,” she said.
“Having the infrastructure at Geraldton Health Campus would be of significant benefit not just to the local community, but to other regions north of Geraldton.”
Ms Warr said the strong support from the Party’s membership demonstrated the importance of the issue to people across regional Western Australia.
“The Nationals WA membership has made its position clear: Geraldton Health Campus needs the key infrastructure to ensure it can function with a growing population,” she said.
“The State Government needs to commit to funding to ensure Geraldton has its healthcare needs serviced properly.”
