How the west could be won: Dutton digs in on mining

The coalition is mining for votes out west as it desperately tries to reclaim key seats in a mining-dominated state that swung hard to Labor. Login or signup to continue reading Peter Dutton used his first trip to Western Australia during the election campaign to spruik pro-mining and gas rhetoric in the resource-dominant state, promising to slash approval times for new projects. The opposition leader pledged to turbocharge the mining sector by reinstating a $100 million exploration incentive over four years to help small explorers unearth mineral deposits.

Speaking at Wallis Drilling in the seat of Hasluck, Mr Dutton again took aim at Labor for delaying the approval of a major gas project as he courts voters in the mining-dependent state. Getting more gas into the system to bring power bills down while appeasing resource industry-dependent voters in the west by promising more investment is a keystone coalition policy. The opposition leader was shown the controls of a drilling machine but told not to push the button lest it puncture the yard's driveway.



Opposition resources spokeswoman Susan McDonald brushed off concerns from energy giant Shell that flooding the market with gas to bring down prices would disincentivise new investment from big players. "We are absolutely confident that there will be more investment," she said. Mr Dutton was also more definitive on the coalition's industrial relations plans, ruling out scrapping Labor's same job, same pay laws that closed a loophole stopping companies paying labour hire less than they negotiated with staff.

During his trip west, he refused to commit to visiting the site of his proposed nuclear plant in Collie, despite concerns from locals about the plan. Initially ignoring a question about talking to the community, Mr Dutton subsequently said there were seven proposed nuclear sites around Australia and "I won't be able to get to all of them", when pressed. Mr Dutton arrived in Perth with a $600 million roads funding package that covers sealing, widening and strengthening roads, highways and bridges used to transport mining and agricultural products.

Mr Dutton launched the campaign of Pearce candidate Jan Norberger at the Wanneroo botanic gardens in Perth's north, where he announced $1 million for a business case for a local hospital. The coalition lost Pearce to Labor at the 2022 election off the back of a 14 per cent swing and is one of half a dozen electorates the coalition is desperate to win after WA swung harder than a Mike Tyson hook against it. Mr Dutton used a brief stopover at Busselton for a $16.

2 million funding announcement for the airport with the Liberals sandbagging the seat of Forrest, where MP Nola Marino is retiring, against an independent challenger. Australian Associated Press Daily Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update.

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