Retirements leave major gaps

OPINION: State Labor’s hold on several regional seats could be in jeopardy with the impending retirement of some stalwarts and tough electoral fights for others.

The pending retirements of veteran Labor MPs Mick Murray (Collie-Preston) and Peter Watson (Albany) have the potential to make a massive dent in the McGowan government’s regional representation.

The impact could be even greater with speculation that Labor’s backbench member for Kimberley, Josie Farrer, might also bow out at next year’s election after just two terms in parliament.

That would leave the ranks of Labor’s continuing regional MPs very thin indeed.

While first termer Don Punch is safely ensconced in the seat of Bunbury, and considered a future minister, the party’s other outlying MPs, Kevin Michel (Pilbara) and Robyn Clarke (Murray-Wellington), face tough fights to get second terms.

Mr Michel was a surprise winner over (then) WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls in Pilbara in the 2017 election, and has a margin of just 2.2 per cent. Ms Clarke’s buffer is even slimmer in Murray-Wellington at 1.7 per cent.

What this means is that regional Western Australia is shaping as a major battleground over the next 12 months. That’s good news for regional voters.

If the federal sports rorts controversy that brought down former sports minister Bridget McKenzie is any guide, it’s the marginal seats that attract most interest from the major parties at election time.

If this means promised sweeteners for their voters then, provided the issue is handled appropriately, good luck to them.

On paper, Albany provides Labor with the biggest challenge.

Candidates like Mr Watson don’t come along every day. Fortunately he wasn’t a student politician or political staffer.

A champion middle distance runner, Olympian, and Albany postmaster, Mr Watson had the community links to wrest the seat off the Liberal Party, which had held it for 27 years, in 2001.

He ‘worked’ the electorate and has been the speaker of the Legislative Assembly since 2017.

Mr Murray, who went to school in Collie and worked in the coal industry, also had strong community involvement, including playing and coaching football in the rough-and-tumble South West league.

In Mr Murray’s case it was third time lucky when he defeated sitting member Hilda Turnbull (National Party) in 2001 after two failed attempts.

Regional WA was already promising to provide fierce contests between the Liberals and the Nationals in assembly seats such as Geraldton, let alone competition from One Nation, the Greens, and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers in the upper house.

So Labor will be looking for local candidates to emulate Mr Watson and Mr Murray.

However, the modern Labor Party lacks the strong country networks it once had, not only in the Pilbara but also places such as the Goldfields and Northam, the base for former Labor premier Bert Hawke.

With the introduction of one vote, one value in the assembly at the 2008 election, which led to fewer country seats, Labor could retain government purely on its metropolitan vote, as there are now only 16 regional electorates in the 59-seat chamber. That would be a pyrrhic victory.

Meanwhile, the Liberals are setting about the much-needed process of renewal with two former ministers – Simon O'Brien and Michael Mischin – and backbencher Jim Chown being relegated to unwinnable positions on upper house tickets.

Younger candidates such as law graduate Scott Edwardes (33), who has been selected to contest the marginal Labor seat of Kingsley, are starting to cut through. He has strong party links: mother Cheryl is a former attorney general and father, Colin, is opposition leader Liza Harvey’s chief of staff.

But Liberals know that regaining government after just one term in opposition is a big ask.

Nationals disgrace

What an appalling performance by The Nationals federal MPs who voted against their party’s recommended candidate for deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, former Fremantle Dockers coach Damian Drum, who now represents the Victorian seat of Nicholls.

Mr Drum’s defeat was humiliating for party leader Michael McCormack, and seen as some sort of payback for former leader Barnaby Joyce’s defeat in an earlier ballot for leader.

The Nationals rebels just wanted to make a cheap point when the country is crying out for stable leadership. Mr Joyce and his cronies should shape up or ship out.