2 days Ago By Tess Ikonomou and Kat Wong
Anthony Albanese has vowed to represent the entire nation during a visit to Western Australia to shore up support as a rift emerges between federal Labor on key state issues. or signup to continue reading The prime minister is visiting the mining state for the 30th time in the top job as he tries to sandbag seats in the first week of the election campaign. "I don't take Australians for granted, and as Australia's prime minister, my job is to represent the country," he told reporters in Perth on Monday.
"One of the frustrations, I think, that was felt from people in the west was that previous occupants of the lodge of the prime ministership saw themselves as being prime minister for Sydney." Mr Albanese has worked hard to court WA's voters, shelving a 2022 election pledge to set up a federal environment protection agency after a backlash. WA Labor won a landslide victory earlier in March, securing a third term.
Labor holds most of WA's federal seats and is expected to retain them. But a battle is brewing in the new electorate of Bullwinkel, where Labor hopes to wrestle the marginal seat of Moore from the Liberals. Ian Goodenough, who has held Moore for more than a decade, will recontest his seat as an independent at the May 3 election after he was ousted as the Liberal candidate.
Labor candidate for Bullwinkel Trish Cook is a nurse, as was revered World War II army nurse Vivian Bullwinkel, after whom the electorate was named. "Nothing says Western Australia more than a nurse who worked in the offshore resources sector," Mr Albanese said. The federal government has again delayed its decision on a proposed extension of a gas project in WA's north amid Labor MPs' concerns about the party's environmental credentials with voters worried about climate change.
Asked if approvals would be delayed by Labor's fresh promise to establish an environmental protection agency, Mr Albanese said "no". "They'll be considered in accordance with the law," he said. Mr Albanese joined WA Premier Roger Cook to announce an election pledge of $200 million towards the redevelopment of the St John of God Midland Public Hospital.
The state government will cover the rest of the cost of the $355 million upgrade, which will deliver more hospital beds, operating theatres and a new intensive care and emergency department. Mr Albanese said only his party was strengthening Medicare with the largest spend in more than four decades. During his tour of the hospital he cuddled newborn baby Amber, who was just 27 hours old.
"She's beautiful. The highlight of my day for sure," he said. Outside the hospital, Keep the Sheep protester Helen Quaife shouted Labor needed to be placed last by voters and that it didn't care about regional Australians or agriculture.
Labor has angered WA's industry and farmers by introducing a ban on live sheep exports by sea by 2028. The government has announced $8.5 billion in funding to strengthen Medicare and make nine out of 10 GP visits free by the end of the decade.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has promised to match that, with an additional $500 million to boost mental health support. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation.
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