Infrastructure delivery—Government performance

Mr Basil Zempilas (Churchlands—Leader of the Opposition) (4:00 pm): I move: That this house condemns the Labor government for failing in its responsibility to deliver fundamental infrastructure and services to Western Australians. I begin my remarks by looking back over our first year in Parliament, and the pattern that was very clearly established. It was a pattern of the opposition, together with others in the community, raising genuine and serious concerns in different areas in our community. It was consistently met with the same pattern in reply. There was deflection, there was denial, there was deception, there was discrediting of those who raised issues and then eventually, and mysteriously, some form of admission from those opposite that, in fact, they had not got it right and that they were letting down Western Australians and there was some promise to do better in that space. Our sincere and genuine advice to those opposite would be, "How about using that end point that we've seen in the first eight months as your starting point?" How about listening to what the people of Western Australia say, admit when you have not got it right and do something about it then and there? Should we begin with health? The opposition exposed serious maintenance issues at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. We had some help, we might add, and it was very clear that The West Australian was quite interested in the story as well. It was certainly interested in the photographs and other visuals that it received on an almost daily basis for over a month from people experiencing the Western Australian health system firsthand. It was not good enough. It was not acceptable. Yet the Premier continued right through that period to describe the health system in Western Australia as world class. That is the same Premier who began this parliamentary phase by reminding everybody, particularly those on that side, to be humble. It was a message they so quickly forgot. At around the same time, we were confronted by not one, not two, but three record ambulance-ramping months. There were 7,000 hours of ambulance ramping in each of those months, consecutively. It was totally out of control. In amongst it all, the management of this portfolio was left to a merry-go-round of five ministers scrambling, fumbling, deflecting, denying and discrediting before there was finally an announcement of which those on this side of the house are very proud. That was the $1.5 billion spend on health that the government was dragged to, kicking and screaming. I thank all the doctors and nurses, the health workers and their families, for trusting us with their information and with their desperation. I am very proud of the members behind me and the role that we have played to improve our health system from opposition. Yesterday we addressed housing. I know the housing minister does not like to hear these numbers. I know that they make him uncomfortable. But it is worth remembering that in 2017, WA had 44,087 social homes; however, eight years later, we have 45,137. That is only 1,050 more social homes in almost nine years, despite a population increase of 400,000 people. Those opposite, like us, get about their communities regularly. We travel the state, we get direct and genuine feedback from everyday Western Australians and they consistently remind us they are struggling with cost of living and they are struggling with the uncertainty of being able to find a home, get into that home, pay the rent or find somewhere to build, find the builders to build it and then manage the repayments. Shelter WA knows this. Shelter WA describes this situation as not a housing crisis, but a full-blown housing emergency. That is what this state is confronted by. In the area of education, the opposition was able to expose 10,000 maintenance defects at our schools. The government reacted with an additional $11.3 million. Again, the good work of those in opposition demonstrates how important it is to be a voice for those who do not have a voice or to be a galvanising voice for those in our community whose voices are not being heard. We are proud to have played that role in our first eight months in the 42nd Parliament of Western Australia. Remember, we had a Premier who said that the cost of living was his number one priority before this election. Then the $960,000 subsidy for VacSwim quietly and disappointingly disappeared. The election has gone and the commitment to help those families and young people learn to swim has disappeared. The opposition was very pleased to work with authorities and others in the community to expose the serious issues with regional electronic monitoring. The government still has not come clean on why the system is not operating properly in regional Western Australia. In fact, the government claims that it is operating properly, but victims in regional WA are left without the protections promised by the government. Every police district in Western Australia is understaffed and violent crime is at record levels. We will not bring those numbers down without the increase in resources that those serving men and women so desperately need and are crying out for. The government has also failed to deliver PTSD legislation that the police union and officers are happy with. We look over our first eight months in this chamber, in the 42nd Parliament of Western Australia, and acknowledge what a privilege it is to be the voice for those in the community who do not have a voice, and to be that galvanising voice for those in the community whose voices are not being listened to. We reflect on what we have seen. We reflect on how often there is distraction and deflection and denial. The government so often points back to 2017, when most of us were not in this chamber. It is a time so far past in the political sense in Western Australia that it is nonsensical and embarrassing to blame that period for anything a government nine years in is dealing with, or, rather, is failing to deal with today. After nine years of Labor, I say this to the ministers and the backbenchers who are in the chamber: exert what influence you have when you are with your colleagues. Tell your Premier and Deputy Premier that the people of Western Australia do not want any more announcements. They want action. They want delivery. Nine years is long enough to start delivering for the people of Western Australia. We have had nine years of Labor and we do not have a single new hospital. There have been announcements, pretty pictures, diagrams, five health ministers on a merry-go-round, but the facts are the facts. We have had nine years of Labor but not a single new hospital. After nine years of Labor, Perth is the most unaffordable city in which to rent a house in Australia. House prices are at record highs, and most young people are locked out of owning a home. We have had nine years of Labor, and we are seeing the highest levels of violent crime and family and domestic violence, yet every police district is understaffed. Government members will get up eventually. Part of their response to this motion will be to talk about announcements and how great they think they are and how well they think they are going. They will probably talk about how quickly the government is able to get on with building a racetrack at Burswood Park and commit $100 million of taxpayers' money to a rugby team that the National Rugby League could easily have delivered in Western Australia. After nine years of Labor, Western Australians are rightly asking themselves, "Are we better off?" Are they better off with the cost of living? Are they better off with housing? Are they better off with health? Are they better off in education? We know the answers because the people of Western Australia continue to remind us. This is the most prosperous state in Australia—a fact that we are so often reminded of by those opposite. This is the most prosperous state in Australia and one of the most prosperous regions anywhere in the world, so Western Australia should have the best hospitals and the best schools. Every Western Australian deserves the right to be able to find and afford a reliable, stable and consistent roof over their head. They are being let down, after nine years, by this Labor government.

Mr Shane Love (Mid-West—Leader of the Nationals WA) (4:11 pm): I would like to rise to contribute to this motion today. I think each member of the opposition will make a contribution. Mr John Carey interjected. The Acting Speaker: Minister! Mr Shane Love: If I could just continue— Mr John Carey interjected. The Acting Speaker: Minister! Point of order Mr Peter Rundle: The Minister for Housing and Works' interjections are not appreciated. I think you need to call him to order. The Acting Speaker (Mrs Magenta Marshall): Thank you, member for Roe. Minister, please let me hear the Leader of the Nationals WA begin his contribution. Thank you. Proceeding resumed Mr Shane Love: I think I will start again. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today on the motion brought by the Leader of the Opposition: That this house condemns the Labor government for failing in its responsibility to deliver fundamental infrastructure and services to Western Australians. This week, especially yesterday, we saw a discussion about one of the most fundamental failures of this government, which was to ensure that we had an effective and efficient electoral commission delivering the 2025 state election. Yesterday, we saw the resignation of the Electoral Commissioner. This afternoon, I withdrew from the notice paper my private members' business notice of motion that called for the dismissal of the Electoral Commissioner. I am very glad that I was able to withdraw that and that the commissioner had resigned. It is appropriate that he resign because of the many issues that were outlined in the McCusker inquiry that followed the 2025 state election debacle. Now that he has gone, it is time to move on to the next stage and ensure that the Western Australian Electoral Commission has the leadership and resources it needs to deliver in the future and to restore confidence in the commission. I urge the government, when it is looking for a replacement commissioner, to appoint someone after advertising the job widely and not just take the convenient step of promoting someone from within the local public sector without first looking further afield. It is clear that it did not end up with the best result last time around. We want to avoid those mistakes going forward. What is also clear is that concern about the election budget led to much of the poor decision-making that took place in the Western Australian Electoral Commission in that period. I will look at the McCusker report I just referred to, the Special inquiry into the planning and delivery of the 2025 Western Australia state general election. On page 44, paragraph 110 states: In her evidence to the Special Inquiry, Ms Wood stated: It was budget. It was budget. It was always budget. Everything was getting cut. It is very clear that, in the minds of people in the electoral commission, they thought they were dealing with a cut-price election because that was the signal that had been sent by this government. This report also states on pages 43 and 44: 109. The Director of Election Operations … gave evidence that the reason she reduced the number of TEWs [temporary election workers] from the original estimated requirement of 10,165, to 7,113 (the total number ultimately requested by WAEC of PSK and supplied) was the need to stay within budget – that she had to operate within the budget. The timing of the budget requests, and the uncertainty for some time of what the budget would be, meant that planning and preparation was impacted. Point of order Dr Tony Buti: The member for Carine gets up often to talk about relevance. What relevance does this have to the motion? Several members interjected. The Acting Speaker (Mrs Magenta Marshall): Excuse me, everyone! Points of order will be heard in silence. Attorney General, what is the point of order? Dr Tony Buti: What has this got to do with the motion before the house? The Acting Speaker: Thank you, Attorney General. I think the Leader of the Nationals is linking this to services, so I will allow him to continue with his contribution. Proceeding resumed Mr Shane Love: Thank you. Yet another minister is trying to silence me! Several members interjected. The Acting Speaker: Thank you! Mr Shane Love: I am able to read from the report and quote from the report. Thank you. Several members interjected. The Acting Speaker: Thank you, everyone! Mr Shane Love: I will have to go back. The total number of— Mr Daniel Pastorelli interjected. The Acting Speaker: Member for Landsdale! Several members interjected. Mr Shane Love: Hang on. I can deal with him. If we could just step back, we know that the original requirement was for 10,165 electoral workers, but 7,113 was the total number requested and supplied because of the need to stay within budget. She had to operate within the budget. The report states: The timing of the budget requests, and the uncertainty for some time of what the budget would be, meant that planning and preparation was impacted. The WAEC did not know what budget it would be dealing with and, in fact, the matter was not settled until a few months before the 2025 election. What was settled was that instead of getting an extra $16 million, as requested by the Electoral Commissioner, a mere $4 million was awarded for carrying out that election. If we return to the report, on page 33 is a quote from the evaluation report that the Department of Finance carried out, Recruitment Services for Temporary Election Workforce Personnel. That report is dated 20 December 2023. I will read that quotation from the inquiry report: WAEC has a submission pending with the Expenditure Review Committee for the additional funding required for both the larger temporary workforce and the 2029 election. If this funding is not approved, WAEC will reduce the temporary workforce in line with budget constraints … That was in the 2023 tender evaluation by the Department of Finance. It is very clear that the WAEC was being told to stay within budget and that those budgetary constraints played a big part in the eventual shemozzle that occurred in 2025. If we turn to the tender evaluation report, it has a risk register at appendix G. It has it down as there being a significant risk, meaning a probability of between 25% and 75%, of it coming to pass that the contractor would not adequately resource the project. Fundamentally, if one does not have the resources at the outset, one is not going to have an adequately resourced project. This significant risk was identified at the time of the tender. It was said that if that occurred, the consequences would be voting centres not being managed professionally, complaints from members of the public attending voting and polling places, people being unable to vote and additional financial costs to address risks. It was actually already identified in the tender evaluation that all these things could go wrong. What did we then see? We saw a government that sent the Electoral Commissioner packing with $12 million less than he had requested at the time. This is fundamentally at the heart of what went wrong in the 2025 election. This internal evaluation report was prepared by the Department of Finance in December 2023. It was not actually made public, but it was provided in the report. It has been obtained under a freedom of information request. We know that risks were flagged a full year ahead of the election by the government's own Department of Finance, yet what did we see? We saw the Expenditure Review Committee slash $12 million from the funding request by the Western Australian Electoral Commission just a few months out from the election. The government's refusal to properly fund the WAEC left our democracy at risk. It left it exposed. I call on the Premier and the Treasurer to accept responsibility for the part that their penny-pinching caused in the shemozzle that was the 2025 election. Mr Lachlan Hunter: Shemozzle! Mr Shane Love: It was an absolute shemozzle. I also call on the government to guarantee legislative reforms before the next state election that will grant the WAEC the power to draw down sufficient funds to manage the elections properly. The McCusker inquiry called for a new reliable funding model. That needs to be acted upon before we get to the next election, because that was fundamentally behind all the cost cutting and the problems we saw manifest at that election. Had the government resourced the WAEC appropriately, I am sure that a lot of those decisions would not have been made. I say to the Premier and Treasurer that just because the Electoral Commissioner has resigned does not mean that the problem has gone away. Fundamentally, it was their inability and their wish to short-change the Electoral Commission that led to the decision-making that saw such a poor return for the Western Australian public at that last election. I have stuff to talk about from my other portfolios such as regional development. Across the state we see a lack of housing from one end of the state to the other. We know that in health, as has been outlined, hospital projects have been stalled or delayed for years. Mullewa Hospital is finally being built nearly 10 years after it was first approved by the previous government. Laverton is finally getting a hospital, but the costs have gone from $15 million when it was first announced to an astonishing $63 million due to the government sitting on its hands for 10 years on that project. We see power supplies being restricted in the Goldfields and a lack of water in the Pilbara. Right across the state we see roads that are falling apart. This government is not playing its part in ensuring that Western Australia has the infrastructure and services it needs to be a prosperous state into the future. The government keeps talking about the prosperity of the state, yet it denies the state the benefits of its own prosperity, especially in regional areas, by denying the infrastructure and services required by the people of Western Australia.

Mr Adam Hort (Kalamunda) (4:23 pm): I, too, rise to support the motion that this house condemns the Labor government for its profound and unforgivable failure to fulfil the most fundamental duty any government should possess—that is, to keep the people of Western Australia safe. As this parliamentary year draws to a close, we owe the men, women and children of this state something politics too often withholds—absolute and unflinching honesty. I am going to offer that up now. The honest truth, as grim as it is, is undeniable. Western Australians have never been less safe than they are right now. Last financial year, more than 70,000 violent offences were committed in Western Australia. Serious assaults, threats to maim and injure, sexual offences and family violence are all at historic peaks. Today, almost one in four offences in the state is linked to family and domestic violence. The system is not coping. It is collapsing in slow motion. The government is very quick to rush in—I am sure we will hear this if there is the opportunity later—to tell us that crime is down. Members opposite will claim with a straight face that Western Australians are safer now because crime has gone backwards. That single figure is true, but it is a deliberately narrow shield. Behind it, the crimes that scar lives forever—the crimes that leave mothers hiding in bathrooms with their children while fists pound on the door, the crimes that see your mates belted for going out at night—are at the highest level ever recorded in this state. In our regions, the crisis is even more acute. There were more than 84,000 offences in the last financial year alone. Drug offences in the regions have surged by more than 80%—almost doubled—in four years. In some towns, crime is no longer something that happens to somebody else; it is the soundtrack of people's daily lives. Just this week, a regional business reached out to me questioning whether it could sustain business in its small country town because of the scourge of crime. Yet in the very same period that regional crime has exploded to record highs, the number of operational police officers in regional Western Australia has fallen from 1,598 in April to 1,576 in October. Every single policing district in this state is understaffed—every single policing district. As of October, the WA Police Force was more than 300 officers short of its authorised strength. The government boasts loudly and often—we hear it in this place—that we have never had more police officers on the beat. That raw number is accurate. The disclaimer the government never provides is that our population has grown so rapidly that the ratio of police to citizens is sliding towards a 30-year low. We are adding families faster than we are adding protection. For every frightened grandmother in Geraldton, every terrified shopkeeper in Broome and every exhausted sergeant covering a patch the size of Victoria with half a dozen officers, that is cold comfort. Fuelling so much of this violence is a methamphetamine crisis that this state still refuses to treat as an emergency. Western Australia records the highest per capita meth consumption in the nation. They are not my words; I know they have been disputed in this place. That is the assessment of the WA Police Union based on the most recent National Wastewater Drug Monitoring program. We all know what meth does; anyone who does not is living under a rock. It turns neighbours into threats, sons into strangers and homes into battlegrounds. We all know that organised crime syndicates are still profiting from cigarettes and vapes because this government has been painfully and dangerously slow to pass the required tough laws needed to smash the illicit tobacco trade and starve these networks of the cash that keeps these poisons flowing. Then we come to one of the most breathtaking betrayals of regional victims in recent memory—the electronic monitoring debacle. This government promised Western Australians—every frightened woman and victim-survivor of family and domestic violence—that repeat and high-risk family violence offenders would be shackled and monitored. They were the government's words. It promised that the police would respond instantly to any breach and the nightmare could finally be kept at bay. There were no caveats or fine print. There was no footnote saying "Perth only", yet earlier this year, the Department of Justice formally told WA police that it could no longer support GPS monitoring anywhere outside the metropolitan area because it could not guarantee community safety or timely responses. It could not expand it any further. By early April, the judiciary had been quietly briefed and senior commissioners were exchanging letters confirming that very decision. Everyone who needed to know inside the government knew, but the women of Bunbury, Busselton, Broome, Katanning and beyond—the very people this reform was meant to protect—were told nothing. For weeks, the Premier blamed mobile black spots, then staffing, and then he claimed he had never been advised of any problem at all, despite the paperwork trail showing that the decision had been made weeks earlier. Most galling of all, we now know that the two-year trial this government cites as proof that the system works never included a single regional offender. Regional Western Australia was never tested, yet regional survivors were sold the promise anyway. This is a betrayal dressed up as a nation-leading reform. It is not a technical hitch; it is much, much worse than that. When the frontline is stretched to breaking point and the drivers of crime are left unchecked—and they are—the pressure surges into our prisons and into our detention centres. Cells designed for one now hold three and sometimes four. Rehabilitation programs are cancelled, week after week. The Inspector of Custodial Services, the independent watchdog, has described Hakea Prison as being in crisis, and has issued some of the gravest warnings in our state's history. At Banksia Hill last year, staff lodged 184 workers compensation claims—more than for any other facility in our state, with 150 of those still active. Being a prison officer in Western Australia today has become unsafe, and when rehabilitation is cancelled and staff are injured, the system does not reform offenders; it warehouses them and then releases them, more hardened and more dangerous than before. The community then pays the ultimate price. The government keeps promising that unit 18 will close, yet the timeline remains so vague that families could be waiting the better part of a decade for real change. Public safety is not another portfolio; it is the first duty of government. Everything else—every school, every hospital, every road—rests upon it. Today we have record violent crime; record regional crime; a police-to-population ratio sliding to a 30-year low; the worst methamphetamine crisis in Australia; organised crime still operating with impunity; a flagship family violence monitoring scheme that barely exists outside metropolitan Perth; prisons in crisis; youth detention failing the basic standards; and a corrective services workforce suffering injury and trauma at levels no government should tolerate. Western Australians deserve to walk their streets without looking over their shoulder. They deserve to sleep with windows open on a summer night. They deserve to raise their children in towns where their safety does not keep them up at night, and they deserve a government that sees this crisis for the emergency it is, and treats it with the urgency it demands. Acting Speaker (Mrs Magenta Marshall), 2025 will be remembered as the year the spin finally ran out of road, and it did. Unless the government changes course—fundamentally, immediately and honestly—the costs will be measured not in numbers on a page, but in broken lives, shattered families and the slow erosion of everything that makes Western Australia the greatest place on earth to call home. I commend the motion to the house.

Ms Libby Mettam (Vasse—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (4:33 pm): There can be no greater responsibility for a government than the provision of timely health services close to home. There is also no greater failure under the Cook Labor government than its failure to provide those timely health services close to home. There are no excuses. Western Australia has enjoyed the spoils of a booming resources sector—in fact, the largest boom this state has ever seen—thanks largely not to good financial management, as our shadow Treasurer has pointed out, but to good fortune, the groundwork of former Liberal–National state governments and a GST fix that was delivered under a federal coalition government. It was the former Barnett government that delivered one of Western Australia's biggest ever capital works programs, with significant and much-needed infrastructure across the state. Part of that infrastructure was a $7 billion health infrastructure program. This government loves to point the finger at the previous government, and for the moment I will focus on that and what was delivered under the previous government. In respect of the $7 billion of health infrastructure, in the last three years of the Barnett government we saw construction completed on three major metropolitan hospitals—not announcements, but actual delivery. They were Fiona Stanley Hospital, Midland Health Campus and Perth Children's Hospital. We also actually delivered—not just announced—major projects to the regions. Albany Health Campus opened in 2013; Busselton Health Campus was completed in March 2015; Kalgoorlie Hospital was completed in August 2015; and construction commenced on Esperance and Carnarvon health campus redevelopments, to name just a few. This government looks backwards because of its appalling record over the last nine years. As the Leader of the Opposition pointed out, there have been no new hospitals under this government's watch; there have been myriad announcements, but nothing delivered. This government likes to look backwards, but what we have actually seen over the last nine years are shocking reports and an appalling record when it comes to what has been delivered on the ground. We saw shocking reports earlier this year regarding the state of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, with mould, sewage leaking into intensive care units and ongoing issues with Legionella. The government in 2020 promised an upgrade of the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital emergency department; that was five years ago. Where is it? Construction is yet to start, some five years after the announcement. The people of Geraldton have been waiting eight years, and counting, for the expansion of Geraldton Health Campus—the most delayed major project, according to a 2023 report by the Auditor General. We also have pity for the people in the health communities of Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Laverton, who have been waiting up to nine years—yes, nine years—for their health infrastructure. We also know that regional residents in communities such as Busselton, Dunsborough, Margaret River and Augusta do not have local access to cancer services and radiation oncology. They have to travel to Bunbury, sometimes daily, for up to six weeks, adding further burden to a trip that is not captured by the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme. That is a booming region of the state, but there is no planning for cancer treatments close to home. If this government were really serious about a health plan for the future, we would have believed the Premier's talking points in August when he talked about the $50 million health asset maintenance fund, followed by a $500 million major project fund, which was then incorporated into a $1.5 billion health infrastructure fund. That was not announced during the election campaign or during the most recent state budget; it was announced on the back of pressure from the health workers of this state—our nurses and our doctors—the appalling reports coming from our hospitals, and the damning statistics that point to 7,000 hours of ambulance ramping. That is seven times the number that the Premier had referred to as a health crisis. Elective surgery waiting lists are blowing out by over 50%, and children are waiting years—in fact, up to four years—to see a paediatrician. This was not a plan to fix our health system after nine years of government; this was a reaction. Make no mistake: this government is still scrambling, after nine years, to actually deliver for the people of WA. The government announced spending of $1.5 billion, but as we have outlined, we need to see delivery. A new hospital for Peel is certainly something that this side of the house supports. We have been campaigning for additional resources for some time, but that community has been waiting five years for new services. We were told it would be delivered by 2028 and would be made of green steel. We look forward to seeing that actually delivered. As I have pointed to, after nine years, this government is yet to deliver a hospital or health infrastructure commitments like bringing extra capacity to Royal Perth and Mount Lawley Hospitals. We also look forward to seeing the government deliver on these promises. Make no mistake—this government was dragged kicking and screaming when it has come to the $1.5 billion commitment made after the election and most recent state budget. Our health system has the second lowest number of beds per capita in the country. We have seen over 7,000 hours of ambulance ramping. Children are waiting way too long on the waitlist for development services. Put in the simplest of terms, after nine years of Labor, we have seen too few hospitals—in fact, no hospitals—and the hospitals that we have are neglected. Let us also touch on the infrastructure and the equipment. Let us not forget that two years ago the head of cardiology at Fiona Stanley Hospital raised the alarm on behalf of heart patients about out-of-date equipment in Fiona Stanley Hospital's cardiac services. They warned of major risks. The ageing equipment risks increased radiation to patients and staff, compromising patient safety, adding to the significant challenges felt in that department. Today we still do not hear a clear commitment to address those significant issues—issues associated with breakdowns, delayed procedures, increased radiation to staff and patients, and a significant loss of revenue to the hospital. I know other people on our side would like to speak. I will now touch on the mess we see of the plan for the replacement of King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, which was first announced six years ago by our Premier when he was the Minister for Health. Clinicians describe these plans as an absolute mess. This government has made a political decision to turn its back on decades of bipartisan support for a world-class facility at the Queen Elizabeth II site, which would have seen our premier Perth Children's Hospital located alongside a high-risk maternity hospital. This government will not deliver a world-class hospital. It will not deliver a 2.8-kilometre distance between Perth Children's Hospital and a maternity hospital. Instead, it will significantly extend that distance to a 20-kilometre journey. This is a clinically sub-optimal location for vulnerable newborns who will have their lives put at risk. In the words of our top clinicians in this state, it will pose a risk of death and disability. Furthermore, it is clear from the Premier's response to my question in this place yesterday that this government has stepped away from its commitment to expand neonate beds at Perth Children's Hospital. This government has completely failed the people of WA on what would, and should, have been a world-class facility for mothers and our most vulnerable newborns in the state. It is clear that planning for the new women's and babies' hospital is in complete disarray. In nine years of government, during the greatest period of population growth this state has ever seen, Labor has not constructed even one new hospital despite the resources and demand to do so. Furthermore, it is absolutely appalling to see this government turn its back on world-best practice and instead deliver a second-rate solution for the women and children of this state. I will leave my comments there.

Mrs Kirrilee Warr (Geraldton) (4:44 pm): I too rise to speak in support of this motion on the services and infrastructure that this Labor government has failed to deliver, particularly for the regions. We know that the regions are the backbone of this state. We have a booming economy thanks to our industries that are working hard and increasing productivity within the Western Australian landscape. It is contributing immensely, underpinned by a road and infrastructure network that is underfunded and in neglect because of this Labor government. I speak today about local government roads in particular. Local governments manage up to 127,000 kilometres across this state, yet the state alone only manages 18,000 kilometres. Roads underpin the freight network, which is part of our broad landscape that contributes to the thriving prosperous economy that we see right now. We continue to drive on these roads. Many regional MPs on this side of government drive thousands of kilometres every year. We experience what these roads look like in the flesh. I have to say that the last few roads that I have driven on, particularly throughout my electorate of Geraldton, have a number of potholes and failing edges. The road widening is not occurring. The maintenance upkeep is not happening. The gravel shoulders are continually eroding and yet we see increased freight movements across that network every single day. There was a local government roads package, thanks to the National and Liberal Parties, that led the election campaign. We committed some $285 million to a local government package that would be specific to local government roads. It was pleasing to see that the Labor government did follow up with a similar commitment, but it was far less than what we had committed and far less than what local governments themselves were requesting. We also know there is a local government agreement. I have it right here with me. It is signed by the Premier, the Treasurer and the Western Australian Local Government Association. I just checked those signatures at the back here and I think there is one more. The Commissioner for Main Roads also signed it. Sorry—I missed that very important person. This agreement is a partnership between the state, Main Roads Western Australia and local governments. The preamble itself states: This Agreement is based on the equivalent of 20% of motor vehicle licence fee collections, being allocated to assist with the improvement and maintenance of the Local Government Road network. Interestingly, earlier this year, the Office of the Auditor General—Caroline Spencer herself—did a briefing. It did an investigation and audit into where that money was going. As a result of that, it came up with these findings. It found a $205 million disparity between the budgeted vehicle licence fees and the actual fees between 2014 and 2024. According to the report, that could have made $41 million available to local governments based on the 80-20 allocation between state and local government roads. This report shows that money is there and it is time for this state government to assist our local governments. What do we see instead? We see frivolous spending on pet projects here in the Perth metropolitan area, such as racetracks. Like I say, regional MPs drive those roads every single day, as do family members, in either trucks, large vehicles or commuter vehicles. They drive school buses as well. Let me touch on that later in this speech when and if I have time. I have seen failing road infrastructure across the electorate of Geraldton in particular. Chapman Valley Road is the major arterial road that runs through the heart of the Shire of Chapman Valley. It has been presented to Main Roads through Regional Road Groups in a number of cases. It is a state-owned road, but every other single road within the local government area leads to that major road. That is where all commodities go to the Port of Geraldton. I have to say that it has had no love for the last 12 months. It has a lot of paint markings on it and big circles around big potholes. The pavement is falling apart. The heat itself is causing wheel tracks to form and large mounds of bitumen to come together in the middle of the road, which is actually quite a danger. We know that the number of fatalities on the roads is increasing; it is actually at a record high. It is nothing to be proud of. Yet what do we see? We know the condition of roads is a contributing factor to that. All we and local governments ask, again, is to please listen. They are appointed to the Regional Road Groups. Those Regional Road Groups are there for decision-making. It even states it in this particular document, State Road Funds to Local Government Agreement to Western Australian Local Governments. It outlines why Regional Road Groups are so important. They determine policymaking and improvements needed in Western Australia's road network. They mean state road funds to local governments can have a local decision-making contribution and a priority list for the state government to consider, yet what do we see? We see a failing road system across Western Australia. I have talked to truckers and I have spoken with Heather Jones. She is very well known across the trucking landscape. She runs Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls Group and sits on a national representative body. I recently caught up with her and she said to me that the state of the roads is absolutely appalling. She does thousands of thousands of kilometres across Western Australia and sometimes across the Nullarbor. The interconnecting freight networks underpin our retailers and our industries and what it would mean to run the state of Western Australia. She says that truck stops within Western Australia are poorly maintained or non-existent and I would have to agree. We recently saw the "Road to Nowhere", as people are calling it—the intersection between the Oakajee access road and the North West Coastal Highway—take out the only southbound truck stop between Northampton and Dongara. Geraldton, if I have to remind members, is a large regional service centre that offers the opportunity for people to stop, refuel, rest, do some washing and get supplies—whatever they need. Further north, it is a long drive to Carnarvon and an even further drive to Karratha. Then there are still 400 kilometres to Perth. It is a pretty integral spot in our state for trucks to pull over and drivers to get their supplies and actually, feel good about themselves. They can maybe have a shower, if they can find one, do some groceries, take a rest and then continue their journey and make sure that their product is getting where it needs to be. What is this state government doing about it? Crickets. I have not heard anything—nothing to do with truck stops! I know the federal government made some announcements only a few weeks ago. There was one coming into the south, I think somewhere down towards Albany or in the member for Roe's electorate, but there was nothing for the Mid West or the North West, where a lot of our product is coming from and commodities are put on the road. We also know that the Geraldton–Mount Magnet road is failing. There were several attempts but 18 months ago, you could not transverse the centre of Mullewa. It was a sealed road becoming an unsealed road and remained an unsealed road for six months, until December last year when Main Roads decided to go in and try to fix the pavement. Those attempts have failed, yet nearly 12 months on from that repair we still do not see any improvement in the main site in the town of Mullewa. All we are saying is for the government to take a look—to bring its eyes up beyond the metropolitan area and start looking at the roads and infrastructure that our local governments are proudly trying to maintain with the few resources they have, or trying to work with the state or federal governments to ensure that road infrastructure is well maintained or improved. Why do I ask this? It is because regional infrastructure is lagging behind population growth while freight and industry growth is on the increase. We want to have safer and more reliable roads. It is a risk for residents, workers and tourists who are using these roads in conjunction with our freight companies. We are just looking for some strategic investment that delivers the economic growth that underpins the prosperous state that we see and are working and living in right now in Western Australia. I know others want to contribute and I think I have about a minute left to go. I want to touch just again on that road to nowhere. I recently took a truck ride myself up past that intersection. It was designed for slow-moving vehicles, but we know there is no activation in the strategic industrial area of Oakajee. Today in question time, we heard the Premier talk about investment into strategic industrial areas. There was no mention of Oakajee—nothing. Again, questions on notice have been asked on Oakajee and there is zero. There was $500 million into SIAs. What are those ministers called—the ministers for the regions? Mr Lachlan Hunter: Ministers with no responsibility. Mrs Kirrilee Warr: Yes, they came to the budget lunch. We were asking questions on notice about Oakajee and the road into Oakajee and, heaven forbid, there was no response. They could not take them on notice. They did not know anything about it but we wonder. The residents of the Geraldton electorate, when they are driving that road, they look to the west or the east—whichever way they are going, north or south—and they see a vacant paddock. They see a lovely $21 million road going into a vacant paddock and then they see a dangerous intersection because it was built for slow-moving traffic that is not even existent coming out of that road. Why? The estate has not been activated and we are not hearing from this government that it will be activated anytime soon. What can we do to improve that design? At the moment, we have overtaking lanes going downhill on both sides. It is very dangerous. I wanted to mention that because maybe someone in the transport portfolio might like to talk to Main Roads and improve that design. I know that others here want to contribute. I have to say that regional Western Australia is feeling a little bit left out and a little bit left behind. We are just asking for a bit more investment into our roads.

Mr David Bolt (Murray–Wellington) (4:55 pm): I also rise to support the motion: That this house condemns the Labor government for failing in its responsibility to deliver fundamental infrastructure and services to Western Australians. As we know, in a state as wealthy as Western Australia, people should be able to find a home to live in. They should be able to afford the power bills that they are getting, but many cannot today. They should be able to get their kids to school on public transport and they should be able to get reliable hospital services where and when they need it. These are just basic expectations, yet right now we know, particularly in housing and the infrastructure that supports it, this government has simply not kept up with the needs and demands of our community. Let us talk about housing for a moment. The system we know is no longer working. As we have heard, it is an emergency. It went from crisis to emergency for many people, who have no visibility on how they are going to put a roof over their head. Nothing is more fundamental than having a place to live, but the pressure on Western Australians today is the worst we have seen for decades. After nearly nine years in office and record revenues, the government has failed to plan or coordinate supply for enough houses for Western Australians. The results are plain; the figures are stark. Western Australia has the longest home build times in the country, with build times up 71% since 2020, compared with 34% nationally. Rents have risen by 75% in five years and the median rent is now around $716 a week in Perth, up from $339 only four years ago. For two years in a row, Perth has been the least affordable capital city for renters. The typical household spends more than 30% of gross income on rent; anything over 30%, you are in rental stress. In regional Western Australia, for some workers, that is 44% or up to 50% for low-income earners. Perth house prices have risen 86% in five years and it now takes 11 years to save for a deposit, up from 6.5 years ago. To meet the National Housing Accord, WA needs 26,000 new homes a year. Even with the rising housing numbers, in September 2025, only 23,000 were delivered. We need another 3,000 just to meet our accord numbers. We also know homelessness is rising. Around 25,000 people a year turned to homelessness services. No wonder the homelessness services are struggling with a lack of funding and lack of planning. Nearly half of those are in the regions. The census shows that nearly 10,000 people are homeless with the number rough sleeping more than doubling since 2016. If you get out into the suburbs, you can see people rough sleeping everywhere and it is only getting worse. Unfortunately, older women are the fastest growing group in that sector. We now have 7,755 people on the priority homelessness waitlist and experts are warning the system is broken and continues to break. Industry bodies are pointing to delays in costs, planning bottlenecks and infrastructure backlogs that are holding back supply. Waitlists are growing and wait times are getting longer. We are hearing from many on the priority waitlist that it is taking two to three years. Enabling infrastructure has fallen behind. Even when homes are approved, we hear that they cannot be built quickly because enabling infrastructure is not keeping pace. Our electricity connection delays are the worst in the country. You can build a modular house in about 12 weeks. They deliver it to the block and then they wait 12 months to get the power connected. How can that be? It is unbelievable. Mr Basil Zempilas: You can build a racetrack in five minutes. Mr David Bolt: You can, yes! As of late 2025, connection times have increased 180% since 2020. Small residential connections are taking 12 months or more. Serviced land is running short while population and construction demand continues to rise. This is not just a market cycle; it is a system that has been under-maintained. The people who are hurting are the teachers, nurses and police, particularly in regional Western Australia, who cannot find a home. Our businesses are being held back. They cannot expand because they cannot get the workers living in the towns where they need them. We do not want more announcements. We do not want more promises. Western Australians do not want to hear more promises and announcements. They want the land, they want the housing and they want the approvals and infrastructure they need to live. We know that the public housing system is failing and its maintenance is in a terrible situation. The Auditor General report was damning. Maintenance costs have risen 44% since 2019, but the actual maintenance activity is up only 7%. Eighty-five per cent of maintenance is reactive instead of planned, so that is more expensive. The department has spent $256 million on travel and overheads since 2019. We see that constant work order changes have added another $162 million and only 51% of vacant property maintenance is completed within the targeted time. This is fundamental infrastructure for affordable and social housing and GROH housing in our regions. The result is predictable. Thousands of families wait for housing while properties sit empty for weeks or months because the system is bloated and poorly managed. Spending more money is not the same as delivering better outcomes. People do not need promises, they need delivery. Western Australians can tell the difference. I would like to complete my contribution by talking more specifically about my local region, particularly around Murray–Wellington. Regional WA knows that talk and delivery are two different things. Nowhere is the failure more obvious than in the regions where people feel the gap between promises and real outcomes every single day. I will give members some examples. I have not spoken about the Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation for a while. I thought I would bring it back into discussion here. It has been talked about since the 1990s. It has been planned since the 1990s, and in 2017, 85% of the local town site went to a referendum asking for it to be delivered. We have 800 trucks a day going through the main street of town and they are dangerous trucks. They shut down the whole town. We have two schools on that main street and I have watched the kids running around these huge trucks when they get stuck at the traffic lights going through the town. We have been promised a heavy haulage deviation for years. We had the money; it was taken away by the federal government. The promise was that the state government would deliver, but I cannot find any of the money for delivery in the budget. It has actually gone backwards. We have gone into planning mode. We have gone into consulting mode and we have kicked it into the long grass and I am sure we will bring it back and announce it yet again before the next election. People need the heavy haulage deviation delivered. At the last election brochures came out and the Premier said it is actually being delivered. I have been looking for it but I cannot find it. They have delivered it somewhere else. I cannot find it, but they said it was being delivered. Anyway, it has not been delivered and the people of my electorate know that. I would like to spend a little bit of time talking about South Yunderup. We have thousands of people moving into South Yunderup, but we have one road in and an old bridge that is falling apart. It is really dangerous and people in South Yunderup want the South Yunderup bridge replaced. It is dangerous and it needs to be funded yesterday. We ask the government to please upgrade the South Yunderup bridge so it is safer and the development can continue to grow. There is serviceable land there. It is accessible. We could accommodate thousands of new residents, but we do not have the infrastructure to allow that estate to develop. Please, government: please upgrade the South Yunderup bridge and connect that land to serviced areas. I have one final point about the old Water Corporation bridges in the regions. I have had many calls from farmers who say, "I've just had a notice that I can't drive down my local road anymore because the bridge won't hold the weight of my vehicle." This is access to local roads. Water Corporation roads and bridges have had their road limits downgraded because they have not been maintained. This is basic infrastructure that has not been maintained for years and it forces farmers, truck drivers and businesses to take long detours, increasing costs and disrupting harvest and construction. These are the basic fundamentals that we need in the regions: roads, land, water and health infrastructure. Without these fundamental services, we cannot grow and we cannot bring houses into the market. People should get the fundamental services that they need and deserve.

Ms Sandra Brewer (Cottesloe) (5:05 pm): I rise to support the motion: That this house condemns the Labor government for failing in its responsibility to deliver fundamental infrastructure and services to Western Australians. On 10 September, in this place, the member for Carine moved a motion condemning the Cook Labor government's neglect of school infrastructure. In that debate, the member for Southern River said: I know it is difficult to talk about things, but I ask members opposite to please do so based on fact. Please look at the infrastructure investments. Not only had I already done that at the time, but it seems that members opposite had not. That day, the Minister for Education, said: We have been able to make record investment in schools in Western Australia … I think I had better set the record straight. Let us look back through the annual reports on state finances. The record is very clear on education. I am going to read the numbers out for members who do not quite understand that the record setting came from the Liberal–National government. The Barnett government invested $921 million in education infrastructure in 2009–10; $651 million in 2010–11; $674 million in 2011–12; $475 million in 2012–13; $546 million in 2013–14; $432 million in 2014–15; $303 million in 2015–16 and $340 million in 2016–17. That makes a total of $4.342 billion in eight years. Going hard and early in education infrastructure investment reduces the burden on maintenance, which this government now must face, yet it rejected the motion that was put to it on 10 September. The government put forward the idea that its federal colleagues propped up the former Barnett government's education spend. When we hear about its eight-year spend, we ask, "Where is Albanese and where is the GST deal helping?" In 2017–18, the McGowan government invested $378 million in education infrastructure. Bear with me, I will go through it quickly: $417 million in 2018–19; $428 million in 2019–20; $367 million in 2020–21; $431 million in 2021–22; $513 million in 2022–23—towards the end they became the Cook government—$567 million in 2023–24 and $555 million in 2024–25. This government totals $3.656 billion in education infrastructure over eight years. We spent $4.342 billion. This government spent $3.656 billion, which is $686 million or 16% less than the Barnett government. That is not the delivery we hear from their rhetoric and it is not what we hear in the media statements. Several members interjected. Ms Sandra Brewer: I can hear the member for Carine behind me asking, "What about inflation?" I am going to answer him. Let us convert it to 2025 dollars. Using non-dwelling construction deflators from the ABS series on gross fixed capital formation in WA, we can do it. The total invested in education infrastructure in 2025 dollars was $6.133 billion by the Barnett government and $4.226 billion by this one. In real terms, it is now 31% less. Despite the population growth in this state, the government has put 31% less into education infrastructure. It is an oversight by this Treasurer. The same goes for health. On 9 September, the Leader of the Opposition moved a motion condemning the Cook Labor government's health failures. The Minister for Health did not know the record of those who came before her, when she said: That is why we have made record investments in health. That is why we are proud of the fact that no other government has invested so much in health. I do not expect to be challenged here and I do not want to read the records from the Annual Report on State Finances again, but I have given this information to this place before so here I go again. I thank the member for Butler; she asked for it. The Barnett government invested $5.66 billion in health infrastructure over eight years. This government has used its eight years to date to invest $2.655 billion. As our shadow health minister knows, the disparity is even larger in health spending than in education spending. Not even the new Building Hospitals Fund will overturn such an abysmal record. In nominal terms, in health, Barnett more than doubled what this government has achieved in its eight years. Just wait until members hear it in real dollar terms! In 2025 dollars, Barnett's investment would be sitting 160% higher than this government's investment. It is a comparison of $7.961 billion to $3.071 billion. When we compare the governments, it is about an 8:3 ratio in health infrastructure spending. What a change in priorities we have seen under Labor! I get that the government will cite that its services spend is rising with population and inflation, but when it comes to adding capacity to keep up with long-term demands, it is clear that there are failings. This government is on the back foot and trying to play catch-up. This motion is about fundamental infrastructure and services. To me, that is the areas of health and education. When we look at the overall eight-year infrastructure spend for this government and the one before, we see that in real terms it is practically the same—$70.689 billion in 2025 dollars was invested under Barnett and $70.035 billion under this one. Similar figures would be expected when we make that conversion, but it begs the question: If the totals are so close, why have we been let down so far in the fundamentals of health and education? The question I am hearing from members is: Where has the money gone? We know what happened; it has gone to Metronet blowouts. The member for Butler better start scribbling again. I said the word "Metronet" and I will keep on doing it! There are business cases on how to do it right for maximum benefit with respect to cost. Several members interjected. The Acting Speaker: Order, members! Ms Sandra Brewer: They were totally disregarded by the Minister for Transport as she has totally blown the budget. Do not get me wrong: transport is important, as the Minister for Planning and Lands read in my old reports on transit-oriented developments. He knows all too well that the real benefit lies in unlocking housing. What is missing from his latest transit-oriented development plan? The three anointed and ancient stations in my electorate have totally missed out on Metronet or any transport spending at all! Cottesloe is a prime location for new housing, but our infrastructure is missing. We have dangerous level crossings, outdated train stations and idle state land around them. We need public investment to reinvigorate our train station precincts if we are to truly unlock housing in Cottesloe for young people, aspirational families and downsizing retirees. The infrastructure needs to come but it is neglected. The Minister for Transport knows very well of my advocacy for simple transport solutions like fixing the convoluted access to the North Fremantle station, improving pedestrian crossings to stations on Curtin Avenue, adding lifts for accessibility at Claremont and creating safer bicycle paths, especially at Tydeman Road, all to support the community through the Fremantle Traffic Bridge closure. The opportunity is there, but the infrastructure must step up for our full housing potential to be realised. Cottesloe Beach is one of Perth's most iconic places. This critical tourist destination deserves infrastructure investment to grow and attract more tourists to WA and to leave a great impression of Perth. As we know, Cottesloe Beach is advertised in our tourism marketing and is loved by people from all over WA. The Town of Cottesloe has a master plan for the beach foreshore. It must attract state funding if we are to grow our potential for this state. I have campaigned heavily to fix the Cottesloe foreshore and will continue to do so, as Perth's iconic tourist beach deserves. Let us do better for WA. I urge all members to support this motion. Opposition members: Hear, hear!

Mr Peter Rundle (Roe) (5:15 pm): After that excellent contribution from the member for Cottesloe, I, too, rise to support the Leader of the Opposition's motion: That this house condemns the Labor government for failing in its responsibility to deliver fundamental infrastructure and services to Western Australians. I want to briefly alert the likes of the Attorney General to some things that are happening out in the bush. I am very concerned about the situation with renewable energy infrastructure. We have seen cases in the last couple of days of asbestos lifters in quite a few wind turbines. We have seen the Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation kick the can down the road, with the whole-of-state energy plan put off by two years. Mr Lachlan Hunter: The Premier-in-waiting. Mr Peter Rundle: Yes, the Premier-in-waiting. She has kicked the can down the road by two years. Chris Bowen, the energy minister over in Canberra, is under attack from all sorts of sectors while he is also trying to work on the world stage. There is grief right through regional Victoria and New South Wales with transmission lines. Good farming land is being taken up and there is offset confusion. Now, the government here is kicking the whole-of-state energy plan down the road. I just wanted to let people know that there is confusion. The Narrogin Shire Council has $18 billion worth of projects within a 45-kilometre radius. It needs some help, some guidance and some leadership from this state government, but we do not see a lot of leadership going on. We need local community benefit and we need guidance on things like the distance of wind towers from boundaries. I look forward to this government showing some leadership and the minister coming to the party, because a lot of our local communities are going to be messed up by some of these projects. I just wanted to start with that. Of course, water infrastructure is the main portfolio area that I want to talk about today. We heard again today that the Minister for Water and the member for Butler were out there. From what we have heard from this water minister, the focus is on the 1.6-metre pipes coming to and from the Alkimos desalination plant. That seems to be all that is talked about. We do not hear too much about the Pilbara or the South West, so I am going to remind the minister. I am also going to remind him about the sewage spill in Spearwood. Donald Allison, a pensioner in Gold Street, Fremantle, was minding his own business at his 130-year-old cottage. What happened? There was a sewage spill in Spearwood and it was diverted towards Fremantle. He popped up the green lid that sits a metre outside his back door and his house and verandah were filled six inches deep in sewage. That is what happened. The Water Corporation came along and cleaned the brick pavers with the pressure cleaner and said, "See you later. We're handballing that across to the insurers." That is the government’s attitude to that. We have seen several other spillages and diversions. The same thing happened with the Hollywood Medical Centre. The consulting rooms were closed due to a wastewater backflow issue that occurred in February. Anecdotally, many consulting rooms are still closed on the ground floor. Once again, the Water Corp referred the matter to the hospital insurers rather than take responsibility for the spillage. This is the form of the Water Corporation: "Let's handball it off to the insurers. It's not our problem. We don't want to know about it. We'll fill your place with sewage and then we'll handball it off for someone else to worry about." They are the sort of things that are concerning us and, of course, water in our regional areas. We have seen the scenario in Port Hedland, the most important town in Australia as far as I am concerned. Port Hedland is the economic nerve centre of Western Australia and Australia, contributing more than $100 billion to the national economy every year. More projects are being touted for the area, including a green hydrogen project, which requires a lot of water. Basic water needs for the community are being ignored by the state government. We saw confusion over the 80-unit development in Port Hedland. The Water Corp said, "No, we haven't got enough water for that." Then someone was obviously told, "No, that's no good. That's not right. We have got some water for that." The community and the state of Western Australia are very unclear about whether the Water Corporation will be able to supply water. In fact, the Leader of the Nationals WA and I had a briefing the other day from the Kariyarra Water Scheme group, which is delivering water security and jobs for the Pilbara. This native title group is working in conjunction with others to look at and underpin WA's water future prosperity. I am keen to know whether this government will be looking at that. It is actually a private venture and it looks like it has some good strategic and cultural alignment. It could be of public benefit for not only the Water Corporation, but also the people of Port Hedland. That is definitely something well worth considering, especially in light of the way that the Water Corporation is struggling to even understand its ability to deliver water in that area. I will briefly mention another issue that we have seen in the electorates of the members for Albany and Warren–Blackwood. Those areas have the highest rainfall in the state but they do not seem to have a continuous water supply. The former Minister for Water built a $35 million pipeline from Albany to Denmark, but we are running out of water in Albany. Now the state government is scratching around talking about desalination plants in Albany. Walpole is one of the places in Western Australia that receives the highest rainfall, with nearly a metre of rain per year, yet it has to cart water from Denmark every day. Northcliffe, another town in the member for Warren–Blackwood's electorate, also needs water carted to it every day. This government needs to think about building some dams in high rainfall areas. That is how we catch water. We cannot put up a desalination plant around every part of the coastline in Western Australia because they use energy, and that will be an issue for this state government with the confusion and chaos over its energy plan. They are the issues that I am worried about. Finally—the member for Central Wheatbelt might be interested in this—we saw pictures of the Kojonup–Katanning pipeline the other day. A magnificent spout of water came from the pipeline. Mr Lachlan Hunter: Is that Lake Burley Griffin? Mr Peter Rundle: No, it is not. It is just a canola paddock behind the pipeline. We have seen the Water Corporation use new techniques to fix these particular holes. This is out in the member for Central Wheatbelt's area. We are going for the old "square peg, round hole" technique. Let us knock a couple of pegs in. That is how we fix our water infrastructure pipeline these days. This is a real concern. We have infrastructure that is 60 to 80 years old. This government needs to focus on and look after its older infrastructure. It needs to stop diverting sewage into people's houses and lift its game. Thank you, Acting Speaker.

Mr Scott Leary (Albany) (5:25 pm): I will give members the abridged version of my speech given we have had some time overruns. I, too, rise to support the motion: That this house condemns the Labor government for failing in its responsibility to deliver fundamental infrastructure and services to Western Australians. The gap between announcement and achievement with this government continually over-promising and underdelivering seems to be a common theme. I am not a big reader but I am currently reading a book by Matthew Parris called Scorn: The Wittiest and Wickedest Insults in Human History. Several members interjected. Mr Scott Leary: Yes, it has got pictures. It is great. I am really enjoying it. One of the quotes in it that particularly resonates with me and is probably apt for this government is that it has "mastered the art of looking busy while going nowhere". I belong to a regional centre where we have a fast-growing population but we are very much lacking on infrastructure. During the past election, $60 million was promised to build and staff a 30-bed addition to our hospital. It is very much a bandaid fix, if members will pardon the pun, going into health for the understated $320 million master plan for the Albany Health Campus. It is concerning that there are no funds in the budget for the provision and supply of those additional 30 beds, that we will see no business plan and that nothing is available for a business case on that project. There is a simpler issue around parking at our hospital. During the 2021 election, we were promised $2.1 million for a 100-bay parking area. That is now a flat surface. Kerbing has been done and it now has a gravel base. When I spoke to a tradesman the other day as I was driving past to visit the hospice, he said that he was disappointed that the contractor had run out of money and they were now just putting in a bitumen and aggregate base instead of asphalt. Everybody who has driven into a car park knows that one twist of a wheel on that surface and that car park will disintegrate in no time. Surely if a contract has been given, it will be built to a specification and a timeframe, something that is probably lacking a little with this government. We have housing issues in Albany like everybody else around the state. Three to four-bedroom houses are continually being built. We know that only 6% of our building applications are for one to two-bedroom units, which are most in demand by people looking for housing within our region. These are for our seniors and for people who are income strapped who need better assistance with housing. We need more assistance to come through for that. It is not a misfortune inasmuch as it is a structural planning failure. It is for this reason that I strongly support this motion and urge this house to formally condemn the government for its failure to deliver on infrastructure and services. Thank you. The Acting Speaker (Mr Stephen Pratt): The member for Warren–Blackwood.

Mr Bevan Eatts (Warren–Blackwood) (5:28 pm): Or the "member for Blackbird". I am not going to let that go. Mr Liam Staltari: I have already apologised. Mr Bevan Eatts: I know. It is good, but I cannot let it go. It has only been a day. I also rise to support the motion: That this house condemns the Labor government for failing in its responsibility to deliver fundamental infrastructure and services to Western Australians. The government has fallen short in its obligations in Western Australia, particularly in regional electorates such as Warren–Blackwood. Our communities expect and deserve a government that delivers the infrastructure and essential services that underpin a well-run society. Instead, often what we see is aspirational but with very little delivery. If we go globally, progressive governments have long held themselves to a higher standard, promising to deliver fairness, equity and public service as their founding values. As former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair said: The state of our public services defines the nature of our country. Our public realm is what we share together. How it develops tells us a lot about what we hold in common, the values that motivate us, the ideas that govern us. Former WA Labor Premier Carmen Lawrence put it even more clearly: In the end we won't be judged as a society solely by our growth statistics or economic activity graphs. We will be judged by the quality of the life that we foster for all members of the community and the compassion we show for the disadvantaged. This is the framework the Labor Party claims to stand for. These are the values it campaigns on, but here in WA, the reality does not match the rhetoric. The Premier and Treasurer repeatedly tell us we are in an economic boom and that the state is stronger than ever, but the average Western Australian is not feeling it. If they are waiting for aged care in Denmark, trying to get a GP appointment in Walpole or raising children in a town without reliable roads, housing or school bus services, they are not feeling a boom; they are being overlooked. Instead of delivering on these core pillars, we see money and focus directed towards vanity projects like the Burswood racetrack and ferry terminals in metropolitan areas at the expense of core infrastructure and services. These are projects that have drawn public criticism for being costly, unnecessary and out of touch. In Warren–Blackwood, schools are under pressure. Teachers are leaving the profession or relocating due to burnout, housing shortages and a lack of support. Regional students are at a disadvantage when it comes to access to specialist programs, school psychologists and extracurricular opportunities. Infrastructure in schools, from crumbling classrooms to out-of-date technology, is falling behind. The government talks about record investment but delivers inconsistent support. If we cannot get the basics right for our kids in regional WA, how do we expect to close the opportunity gap? Aged care is primarily a federal responsibility, but the state government cannot simply throw up its hands. There are practical ways the state government can help such as providing respiratory syncytial virus vaccines to aged-care residents to prevent avoidable hospitalisations; offering payroll tax relief to aged-care providers delivering Commonwealth-funded services to improve sustainability; investing in regional worker housing to attract aged-care and health professionals to communities like Manjimup, Bridgetown and Denmark; and expanding transport services for aged-care residents needing medical appointments in regional hubs. The lack of accessible aged-care beds and home care packages in our towns is putting pressure on families, hospitals and on the dignity of older Western Australians. We do not need excuses; we need action. The government touts its infrastructure strategy, but planning documents do not build roads or hospitals. Regional road networks remain underfunded. Telecommunications in outer townships remain patchy or absent altogether, affecting business and emergency response times. Closer to home, our regional hospitals are stretched. Margaret River Hospital has once again been left out of the last round of state infrastructure funding, despite longstanding calls for upgrades to its emergency and maternity services. Hospitals across Warren–Blackwood face staffing shortages, ageing infrastructure and growing pressure as regional populations age and tourist numbers increase. Local health workers do their absolute best, but they are working in facilities that have not kept pace with need. There is a clear lack of strategy. When it comes to growing regional health care, the answer cannot simply be "Go to Bunbury." For many in our communities, that is an hour and a half drive each way. Meanwhile, we watch as hundreds of millions of dollars are funnelled into the Perth Park project and the new Swan River ferry terminals that the public never asked for. Where are the upgraded maternity wards? Where is the investment in rural health services? Where is the support for overstretched frontline workers? In towns like Nannup and Walpole, transport access and health services are limited. In Pemberton and Northcliffe, housing shortages are pushing out essential workers and across the regions, schools are struggling to maintain enrolments and staff. I have taken the comments of the Minister for Planning and Lands as a bit of a challenge, so it would be remiss of me not to talk about forestry. In forestry, we have seen job losses and economic decline following the rushed closure of the native forest industry. Local businesses are struggling to adapt and the government's so-called just transition plan remains light on delivery to the businesses affected by the closure. The disconnect between metropolitan priorities and regional needs grows wider. Labor is failing the communities it claims to serve. I ask this of this government: it should refocus its priorities onto regional and essential services, not pet projects and PR exercises; deliver on regional infrastructure and complete—not just announce—projects that serve regional communities; support aged-care providers with practical state-based measures that complement Commonwealth funding; invest in education for regional students with real funding, regional teacher attraction strategies and infrastructure upgrades; and upgrade hospitals in Warren–Blackwood, including giving urgent attention to Margaret River and Bridgetown Hospitals. The left has historically promised to build the roads, schools and health services that hold society together. In WA today, especially in rural Western Australia, these promises remain unmet. Our communities cannot thrive on a press release and they need results. I commend this motion to the house.

Mr Liam Staltari (Carine) (5:35 pm): I, too, rise to speak in support of this motion. I commend my colleagues and their contributions. I will speak primarily with regard to the state of our schools after nine years of this Labor government. It is very fair to say and has been said by others that this government is very practised, nine years in, at spin, media announcements, quick responses and papering over cracks until a crisis becomes so bad that it cannot be hidden any more. We saw that in August with Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital crumbling before the eyes of the public. It has sadly very often become apparent that many of our schools are struggling in a similar way. I will touch on two key things in respect of our schools—the state of our school infrastructure and the challenges our amazing teachers and principals are struggling with. Again, our teachers, principals and school support staff do amazing work every day. Parents pay their taxes and expect world-class schools in this state, the most prosperous in the nation, and the future of our kids depends on it. But nine years into this Labor government, too many of our schools and students are being left behind. I will start with school infrastructure, because other speakers have mentioned it. It does not get more obvious and emblematic of where a government's priorities are than the state of infrastructure. It was only in the last sitting that we saw the poor state and deep neglect of our schools, particularly regional, cast into the spotlight. Those images were shocking. At Greenbushes, Esperance and other schools in country WA, we have conditions that I think would really terrify and concern many WA parents. We had mould on the walls and walls being measured for how much their cracks were growing each year, rather than just being fixed. We had sagging ceilings being held up with wooden batons in classrooms that children sat in. That was such a common thing. We saw it in Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and many of our other hospitals in the months before. Those photos are a symptom of a broader problem, which is nine years of underinvestment, as noted by the shadow Treasurer. What does that manifest as? It manifests as 3,800 transportables in use across the state. The government, then opposition, excoriated the Barnett government for relying on transportables. In this government's eyes today, it is a cheap, easy solution to the point that nearly one in six WA public school classrooms is a transportable under this government. If we go to our education support centres, which serve some of our most vulnerable students—often kids with complex needs or students with a disability—the over-reliance on transportables and the willingness to put up with appalling mould, neglect and other issues is even more acute. I want to re-emphasise that those are some of the most vulnerable students in our society. They are serviced by amazing teachers, EAs and people who are very passionate about them and are clearly willing to put up with the appalling conditions this government is satisfied with to support them. Many of those families were represented by the backpacks on the steps of Parliament during the protest just last sitting. It was very powerful and moving and it speaks to families, teachers and students who have been left behind in the dark for too long. Our infrastructure in schools is struggling. The government has spent too long focusing on Metronet, as mentioned by the shadow Treasurer, or its racetrack and other pet projects. If only there was a magic pot of money that the government had available specifically for the purpose of public schools that could be used to address some of these problems. Of course, it is in fact the case that there is a pot of money available for us. Mr Lachlan Hunter: What is it called? Mr Liam Staltari: It is called the Public Education Endowment Trust, member for Central Wheatbelt. Of course, the government tried to take that money and give it to Treasury's general coffers at the start of this year. The opposition put forward a reasonable proposition of: "Why don’t you just ringfence that $40 million to add valuation for school infrastructure?" That was our amendment. Rather than just accept that or have a conversation, what did the government do? It pulled the bill. The bill disappeared. Maybe we will see it in the next Parliament. Given the state of our schools, it would be fair to say that tapping into that $40 million for capital investment in these struggling schools would be a sensible and politically popular thing to do. Mr Peter Rundle: I could use it now at the Esperance hospital. Mr Liam Staltari: Exactly right, member for Roe. It would go a long way in Esperance Senior High School and in so many other schools. When we return next year, I encourage the government to have that conversation because that money could go a long way in those schools. The government should not put its pride ahead of using those funds, accepting the amendment and activating that opportunity. I will close by talking about one of the corollaries that comes from bad infrastructure and neglect, which is the conditions that our teachers have to put up with. The recently released annual report from the Department of Education has confirmed a record number of teacher resignations, surging by more than double in the last five years. That is around 1,300 resignations. I need to emphasise that that is not retirements at the end of a well-run career. These are people who passionately want to teach but they are being driven out early in their career or throughout their career because they do not get the support they need or they are struggling with stress and burnout. That, again, is a symptom of the neglect and wrong priorities that we have come to know from this government. We call on the government, when we return next year, to listen to our teachers, principals and school communities that are crying out for support to axe the track and for the government to take the opportunity to get its priorities right and focus on exactly what this motion is emphasising, which is the fundamental services and infrastructure that Western Australians pay for, expect and deserve. Our schools are central to that. I commend the motion to the house.

Mr Jonathan Huston (Nedlands) (5:41 pm): I rise to speak in favour of the motion that condemns the Labor government for its failure to provide fundamental infrastructure. That is what I would like to focus on over the next eight or nine minutes. I would also like to provide a solution to the litany of errors and shortfalls that have been identified by my colleagues by focusing particularly on rail, road and water. I would like to do that from the perspective of the Federation. It is the fundamental role of the Premier, the Treasurer and other senior ministers to obtain a fair share of funds from the Federation to enable funding for the infrastructure that has been so clearly identified by my colleagues. Today I will lay the facts very clearly and seek leave at the end of my speech to lay on the table for this day's sitting federal budget paper No 3, which provides the data that I will refer to today, plus appendix 11 of the WA budget paper. Every single item I will refer to today comes from a state or federal government source. Western Australia is about 11% of the population and one-third of the land mass. Would it not be fair to say that our share of roads, rail and water ought to be somewhere between, at worst, 11%, and, at best, if we think about roads and rail, because it covers land mass, somewhere around 30%? Let us just remember that threshold I mentioned. We should not ever see less than about 11% of funding from the Federation for each of those three criteria—rail, road and water. Let us go now to the federal government's budget paper No 3. Let us first talk about the rail investment component. Now I am talking about the extent to which the federal government provides funding assistance for infrastructure to the states. We will go out four years. I can tell members that if they look at Western Australia versus Queensland, they will see that Queensland gets 33% of rail infrastructure spending versus 4% for Western Australia. Look, for example, at 2027–28. Queensland is to get—this is in the budget papers—$809 million in rail investment. Western Australia will get $5 million. I will say that again: $809 million for Queensland and $5 million for Western Australia. Does that sound like a government that is going to Canberra and fighting the good fight on the basis of rail for the people of Western Australia? I would say not. Have a look at 2028–29. Queensland will get $900 million—remember, it is $809 million—and Western Australia is slated to get not one red cent. That is in the federal budget papers I am pointing to. This is not coming from a think tank or the Institute of Public Affairs; this is from the federal budget papers, which I will table at the end of my speech. How can it be that Western Australia will be so short-changed by the Federation over the next four years? The role of the Treasurer and the ministers is not to go to Canberra asking about the GST; just go there and talk to the federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and bang the table like the National Party and Liberal Party state Premiers and ministers used to do—I will come back to that—and argue to get a fair share of 10% or 11%. Mr Lachlan Hunter: Maybe ask the member for Perth. Mr Jonathan Huston: That is exactly right. There are federal members within the state in the federal caucus. How about when state ministers are having Christmas drinks, have a word to them and say, "Hey, mate, how about we get a fair deal from the Federation so that we can at least get our roads and rail?" Of all the things I have just mentioned, government members might ask the Liberal Party and National Party where the money is coming from. The money could come from the Federation if state ministers were there arguing to get a fair amount. How can it be that Queensland is getting $809 million in 2027–28 and we are getting $5 million? I will move on to road investment and talk about South Australia. This information will be tabled later so the member for Landsdale can have a good look at it. In that case, we are getting 10%, which is less than 11%, but South Australia, which is a state half our size will get 18% of the road investment funding from the federal government. Let us look at 2027–28. That is just a year from now. Again, I am reading from the federal budget. Under the road investment component, it says that we will get $600 million. We are one-third of the nation's land mass. South Australia will get $1.5 billion of road investment expenditure. Do members not think that could fix some of the road issues mentioned by my colleagues just a few minutes ago? Does it continue? Yes. In 2028–29, Western Australia's road contribution from the Federation drops to $474 million and South Australia will get $1.16 billion. When members speak to their federal colleagues over the next month or so, they might ask how South Australia can be expected to get three times the amount Western Australia does. The state government's job is to go to Canberra and fight the good fight for Western Australia, is it not? Are we not in a Federation? The GST is supposed to be there to smooth out those things, but on the basis of— Several members interjected. Mr Jonathan Huston: Members know the figures. They can look at them later. Before I move on to the final points that I want to talk about, let us talk about water. This is an absolute ripper! Have a look at this. The Northern Territory gets $149 million for its water grid and we get $35 million. How can that be? Tasmania and the Northern Territory get more water support than Western Australia in the out years, yet we are one-third of the nation's land mass. When these representations are being made by my colleagues, members on the other side will say, "Here they go again. These matters are complex." This is where we get it from, is it not, Leader of the Opposition? This is where we get it, Leader of the National Party. As Premier and Deputy Premier, they would be on a flight to Canberra arguing the good fight, just like the leaders of the Liberal and National Parties have done for decades, which I will prove in a minute. I am coming to the end of my speech. I have spoken about the shortage of rail, road and water funding. Let us look at the overall budget. I will refer to appendix 11 of state budget paper No 3. There is a fantastic slide that I would love members to look at over time. I have been looking at it for years. It refers to the increase in funding from Western Australia to the Federation. The green area that I am showing is the time of the Labor government. Every year, we are effectively subsidising the rest of the nation by up to about $35 billion above what we are collecting. This is federal taxes. I go back to the reasons that the Treasurer and the department give. This area is saying that about $90 billion of federal taxes are collected in Western Australia. They are not state taxes. One would think that if we were contributing, we would get 11% of the national budget back, but this shows that, actually, of the $90 billion that we are contributing, the rest of the country is keeping $35 billion. That is a rounding error. That is a $5 billion benefit. This $35 billion is going to the Federation and ministers on the other side are not going to Canberra and fighting for it. This is shown in the Treasurer's own document at figure 11.1. Why is such a huge imbalance between federal spending and taxation occurring? This document says that it is because of the low level of Commonwealth spending in Western Australia. In other words, this is not because there is more tax; it is because the federal government is not spending enough in Western Australia, as I have described, on roads, rail and water. When we talk about funding and ask where the money would come from, the money could come from this. Instead of flying to Canberra and playing out a macabre sort of pantomime for preserving the 75% GST threshold, government members should perhaps spend some more time with the federal ministers for transport and water and get our 11% share minimum. That way, all the various projects that have been suggested by my colleagues would be easily funded. I finish by seeking leave to lay on the table for today's sitting the two documents that I have referred to. By leave, the papers were laid on the table for the remainder of the day's sitting.

Mr Lachlan Hunter (Central Wheatbelt) (5:51 pm): I rise to support this very important motion—the last one of 2025—to highlight this government's failures when it comes to services and the things that matter to people in Western Australia and particularly in regional Western Australia. We have heard from every single member of the opposition during this private members' business motion, which highlights that this government is failing in every single aspect of the state of Western Australia. If there was a report card for the Cook Labor government in 2025, it would receive a big fat F. Let me tell members that in regional Western Australia, if there were such thing as an F-minus, the government would absolutely receive that. It was revealed today during the Legislative Council Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development annual report hearing that the sheep flock numbers in the state of Western Australia have fallen to 8.6 million. I hope that members of the backbench who do not have any livestock in their electorate are listening very carefully. That is how many sheep were in the state of Western Australia in June 2025. I will take members on a trip down memory lane. The only figures that are revealed on DPIRD's own website is 12.2 million in 2022. I know that the member for Nedlands is great at maths; he will work it out. That is a 32% decrease in sheep numbers in the state of Western Australia at a very critical point in time for this state. This is a warning to the Cook Labor government that if sheep numbers decline any more, we will see the end of the sheep industry in Western Australia. During the parliamentary process, members of the Nationals WA and the Liberal Party had to shame the Minister for Agriculture and Food and whoever is her representative on that side of the chamber into actually releasing the figures, because if members go to the DPIRD website today, they will still see the 2022 figures. We heard from the member for Nedlands about the Cook Labor government's failure to go to Canberra and stand up for our agricultural sector and our sheep industry. The federal Labor government shut down that legitimate and viable industry overnight. It was revealed in the budget this year how much money the Cook Labor government gave to Western Australian sheep farmers to help them transition. Mr Basil Zempilas: How much? Mr Lachlan Hunter: I can tell the Leader of the Opposition that it was a big fat zero—just like the government's track record when it comes to supporting Western Australia at a federal level. We saw before the federal election when Hon Roger Cook wanted to support the mining industry in Western Australia we had the nature positive laws. We have also seen the cosy relationship that this government has here in Western Australia and in Canberra with the Australian Greens—one of the most destructive political organisations that we have seen in this nation, which destroys legitimate industries like agriculture and mining. We saw the coalition of the Labor Party and the Greens pass environmental laws. When it came to the mining industry, they gave the Roger Cook tick of approval. When it came to the agricultural industry, there was absolutely nothing. Also in the 2025 greatest hits of the Cook Labor government we saw the polyphagous shot-hole borer. The biggest biosecurity disaster this nation has ever seen rocked up to the Western Australian border, and what did we see from this government? On the morning of the state budget, the agriculture minister in this state got up and raised the white flag; the government has given up on it. We are going to put it out there to the horticultural industry in Western Australia in the member for Warren–Blackwood's electorate that the amazing horticultural industry of Western Australia could see an end in this state because of the government's allowance of polyphagous shot-hole borer. I will go on with this government's failures in agriculture in 2025. There was the Perth Royal Show debacle. I know that the member for Landsdale said that he has been meeting with the Royal Agricultural Society about a new public holiday. That is all the government is interested in—public holidays and election and media stunts before the next state election. For the average Western Australian family, the Royal Show is their only connection or exposure to the agricultural industry in Western Australia. We saw the state government give zero money to support those families to attend the Royal Show. We saw today during question time the member for Geraldton's question on her portfolio as the shadow Minister for Fisheries and the disgraceful response by the Premier of Western Australia about the government's decision to basically ban commercial fishing in the state of Western Australia. We forged a campaign at the last state election with the Leader of the National Party and we warned people in Western Australia that the Labor government will cancel the weekend. We can say to Western Australians, as they head off with their families this Christmas to explore the great state of Western Australia and our coastal communities, they will now have less fishing because of what this Cook government has done. In nine years we have had three failed fisheries ministers, and now we will continue to remind those hardworking people in Western Australia what this Cook Labor government has done to them. The Cook Labor government is not on the side of primary industry in this state. I invite members who are here today to join us at one o'clock tomorrow on the front steps of the Parliament, where I will be joining communities from the Avon Valley from York, Beverley and Northam to protest against this government's failing when it approved the York tip, recommended by Minister Swinbourn and the Environmental Protection Authority. That was a disgraceful decision. At the last election, we had the too-weak Labor candidate for Central Wheatbelt with the former failed member of the other place, Hon Darren West, who is the most offensive political figure to regional Western Australia, stand before those community members—my constituents—and make a Labor Party election commitment at a community event in Northam and say that this tip will not proceed under a Cook Labor government. Then what did we have? The former minister, Reece Whitby—he has now been promoted to be the Minister for Police because of the hopeless job that Minister Papalia did when he made a debacle of the Firearms Act—sat on the EPA report for the York tip for seven long months. He did not make a decision before the election, and now we have the merry-go-round of environment ministers coming before this place and it has been secretly signed off. No public media statement has been put out to say that the York tip has been approved, but I will let members know that every single year, 250,000 tonnes of Perth rubbish will be dumped in the Avon Valley. That is in the catchment zone for the Mundaring Weir, so if any members' communities rely on drinking water from the Mundaring Weir, they can tell them at their next community event that 250,000 tonnes of rubbish is coming to their tip. They can remind people who voted for the Labor Party—only about 17% in Central Wheatbelt—that the Labor Party candidate lied to the people of Central Wheatbelt when he said that the tip would not be approved. Each and every day, we on this side of the chamber will be reminding the residents of York, the Avon Valley and the Perth hills that it was the Labor government that allowed this disastrous decision to occur. Acting Speaker, do I have to wrap up? No; I have three minutes to go! I will get to the failed former minister— Mr Terry Healy: Weren't you a senior adviser in the Barnett government? Mr Lachlan Hunter: No, I did not make it to the lofty heights of senior adviser. Several members interjected. Mr Lachlan Hunter: Minister Papalia's government has been in for eight long years, so do not put the Allawuna tip on the former government. The former minister over there can explain that to the people. Then we had the Minister for Racing and Gaming in this state. I know that the Cook Labor government has handed— Mr Terry Healy interjected. Mr Lachlan Hunter: I know that the member for Southern River joined the protest against the live sheep trade on the Fremantle Traffic Bridge in his earlier days. We know the Labor Party's view on supporting agriculture. The Government of Western Australia in the other place has created a committee inquiry to shut down the greyhound industry in Western Australia. We had a pathetic answer from the Minister for Racing and Gaming today when he came out and explained that the racing industry is on its knees because the McGowan government failed to sell the TAB when it had the opportunity to sell it at an all-time record high. That would have been profitable for taxpayers in the state of Western Australia. Now we see that the point-of-consumption tax that the government gains for every single bet placed on a Western Australian event is at 30%. It is the lowest rate in the nation. It is happening on this government's watch. I know the member for Kalgoorlie is listening intently. The Labor Party matched the National Party's regional racing fund. The member for Kalgoorlie can explain to her community why her government does not support regional racing in Western Australia, because the next announcement of this pathetic minister will be to shut down regional race events, lower the state's money, shut down the greyhound industry and shut down trots in Western Australia. This has been a terrible year for regional Western Australians under a terrible government. We condemn this government to the house.

Mr John Carey (Perth—Minister for Planning and Lands) (6:02 pm): That was a lot of drama, wasn't it? Phew—I think the member for Central Wheatbelt needs a cigarette after that! Several members interjected. Mr John Carey: It reminds me of Peter Collier, really—the theatre, the performance. He is obviously taking inspiration from former members of Parliament. Before making an assessment of some of the extraordinary things that have been said, I note that our state government has made large-scale, substantial investments across Western Australia in critical infrastructure, whether it is growing our economy through our investment in ports, our investment in housing or the extraordinary investment in regional roads like the Albany ring-road and the Bunbury Outer Ring Road. Again and again we can point to large-scale infrastructure that this government has delivered and continues to deliver, like our ambitious health infrastructure program—our record spend to deliver critical health projects across Western Australia. First of all, I find it fascinating that we have a new record from the lead speaker. I think the member for Geraldton spoke for 12 minutes as lead speaker on a matter, but we now have a new record—a lead speaker speaking for less than 12 minutes—of 11 minutes by the Liberal leader. What we learnt about the Liberal leader in this discourse is that he has no substance. Ms Sandra Brewer interjected. The Acting Speaker: Member! Several members interjected. Mr John Carey: I have to say this about the member for Cottesloe: she is probably the most disliked member in the Parliament for her lack of respect outside this chamber and her general attitude. I work with many members on the opposite side. They come to me on individual constituent matters all the time. Members like the member for Carine know that my office and I will go out of the way to help, but not the member for Cottesloe, whose demeanour and behaviour to other members of this chamber is extraordinary. She is always the first to cry out. She is able to dish it out both outside and inside the chamber, so congratulations to her on winning that certificate for the year! I note that the Liberal leader spent 11 minutes on this topic as the lead speaker—a new record. His speech was scripted by Graham Mason as he is unable to deliver speeches without the scripts for TikTok or Instagram. We heard it on the radio today. It has been picked up. He was reading his notes in an interview on 6PR about the fishing issue. Members like the members for Kalamunda and Carine do not need scripts, but the Liberal leader does not have any substance and needs the scripts— Mr Basil Zempilas: Minister, have you watched the Premier at any stage in this chamber? Mr John Carey: Acting Speaker, he is very sensitive! Several members interjected. Mr John Carey: I put on the record that the Leader of the Opposition is getting very touchy and agitated—his hands have started to sway, as they do in all debates when he is losing. The Liberal leader is known for his scripts and for talking to imaginary people in the chamber. That was caught so well in the debate yesterday. What I also find really fascinating is that yesterday we heard his script about our government referring to the Barnett government record, yet, in this debate, multiple members opposite decided to refer to the Barnett record. When it suits them, they are very happy to carefully select from that record. We had a dialogue yesterday from the Leader of the Opposition; it was his scripted TikTok and Instagram speech in which he talked about us referring to the Barnett government. Given that two or three members opposite referred to the Barnett government, including the members for Cottesloe and Vasse, I will also refer to comments about the Barnett government. I will compare the records, as was done by the opposition. I refer to the member for Nedlands' own commentary. This was very explicit. I did not say this. This was not me; this was the member for Nedlands. He was unprompted; he was not forced to say it. The article states: The man who won back Nedlands for the Liberals has attacked his own party's legacy in government, likening its economic management to "a business gone bust". The member for Cottesloe was spruiking the Barnett government, yet the member for Nedlands, who is pursing his lips as I speak, said: "The government inherited a full railway to Mandurah and $3.5billion of debt … … "When we left government we had $35billion of debt. "People say you had [new] hospitals and Optus Stadium, but I count about $10billion on those. "I'm still left wondering what happened to the remainder." The member for Cottesloe just attacked what the member for Nedlands said. The article continues: Mr Huston said the party had lost economic credibility during the Barnett government, which he said had accrued debt to finance ballooning day-to-day expenditure. "Borrowing money for infrastructure projects is okay, but borrowing money for payroll? That's a business gone bust … To me, that was very damaging to the Liberal brand. It is quite extraordinary; they are happy to refer to the Barnett government record, yet their own member for Nedlands is the most damning of the Barnett government. I mean, this is gold! I appreciate that Colin Barnett is no fan of the member; I understand that, and congratulations! He is nodding. We acknowledge that he trashed Colin Barnett's legacy, even though others are defending it, like the members for Vasse and Cottesloe. The member explicitly trashed it, and he was not under pressure. This is absolutely embarrassing. Of course, we have AUKUS and we heard extraordinary comments again: "We tried to take a bipartisan approach to the defence industry, given what it means for Western Australia". The member for Nedlands tried to trash that bipartisanship. It is really funny that the Liberal leader talks about a broad church and enabling ideas and then he threatens the member with demotion. Welcome to the Liberal Party! If you speak out, you are demoted by the Liberal leader. It is quite extraordinary, is it not? Mr Lachlan Hunter: Where's Dave Kelly? Where is he? Dave? Mr John Carey: He says— Point of order Dr Tony Buti: The member for Central Wheatbelt knows that he should be referring to members in this house by their proper— Mr Lachlan Hunter: In interjections? Dr Tony Buti: It is a point of order. The Acting Speaker (Mr Ron Sao): It is a point of order, member for Central Wheatbelt. Dr Tony Buti: After seven months the opposition still has not learnt that points of order are heard in silence. Unbelievable! The Acting Speaker: Minister, thank you. I will not be upholding that point of order, but member for Central Wheatbelt, I remind you that you are on three counts. Proceeding resumed Mr John Carey: Oh, my goodness, watch out member for Central Wheatbelt! Behave, member for Central Wheatbelt! He will be kicked out and I will not enjoy his entertaining interjections. This is the new Liberal Party. Its members always say that they are more liberated in their views, but this Liberal leader says, "I'll demote you." It is just incredible leadership! This year we have seen from the opposition errors and mistakes. The member for Cottesloe could not remember and did not know what to say on the GST share in her WhatsApp, and it was publicly reported in the media. The member for Kalamunda suggested third-party appeals on housing developments that would create more red tape. There was a biffo between the Liberal leader and Andrew Hastie and about the net zero policy. Then we saw both ways, with the Liberal leader flip-flopping on net zero because he was under pressure from Andrew Hastie. It was completely embarrassing. We saw the member for Carine argue against density of only R60, which is medium density. In an environment in which we need more housing, the member for Carine, a much-loved member of "The Clan" was arguing against a very small upzoning in his electorate. He wants to lecture us on housing and how he opposes density! Interestingly, we have also seen the member for Kalamunda claim credit for things that we do. This is quite extraordinary. I understand that the opposition has no policies. I also understand that it is really searching for relevance. But it is another thing for members of the opposition to claim credit for government achievements and election promises. We are seeing a growing trend of that. I find it quite extraordinary. The member for Kalamunda actually said this, and I will read it out for people on the public record because it is quite hysterical. He said: I recently caught up with Kathryn, and her team at Kalamunda CWA to see the completed refurbishment of their outdoor area pergola. I was pleased to be able to support their efforts to secure the $27 000 needed for the upgrade, which has transformed this space into more functional and welcome areas for members and community events. What is really interesting is I am advised that that was an election commitment by our local candidate. Can we just get this right? This is what I have been told. We deliver an election commitment and then the member for Kalamunda claims credit for it and says, "I was pleased to be able to support their efforts." You cannot make this stuff up. There was a website, if members can remember it, called "Greens claiming credit for Labor things." We know that is a fine tradition of the Liberals and of course the current Liberal leader. We all remember when the Liberal leader as mayor claimed credit for the Edith Cowan University City campus. I have to say that is an extraordinary investment by the state and federal governments. It is coming to completion. It will transform the CBD, with 9,000 to 10,000 students and staff in the city. In his election material, the Leader of the Opposition talked about how Edith Cowan University is under construction in the CBD. Do members know what is really funny about that? The deal for ECU was signed off and done before he was elected as mayor. Could someone explain to me how the Liberal leader could claim credit for the ECU City campus, a major infrastructure investment by our state with the federal government? And the City of Perth? Nothing. He claims credit for it on election material. That is just shameless. That is so unbelievable. But we expect that from a Liberal leader who is all about the TikTok, all about the "insta" and all about the quick social media grab. He cannot sustain any debate. He gets up to about 10 minutes and then, as we saw today, he falters out. The battery runs out and the bunny falls over. He cannot sustain it; Graham Mason has run out of notes. Today on 6PR radio, he was there, struggling. He cannot cope. No wonder that the member for Kalamunda is tipped to be the next Liberal leader, even by Joe Spagnolo. That is what we are hearing. We have heard that. There are two performing members of the opposition—the member for Carine and the member for Kalamunda. Of course, a reshuffle will come along. They will ditch the member for Cottesloe, because she gets beaten by the Deputy Premier at every opportunity. They will ditch the member for Murray–Wellington, who looks like he is trying to be the lead from that movie, Weekend at Bernie's. The opposition is failing. It is not an effective opposition. It is an opposition that has no policies at all, and why would we be surprised by that? Over the last eight years it has failed to provide an alternative and now the Western Australian people have spoken at three elections and they are not buying what the Liberal Party is selling. It has lost three times in a row and that has been an absolute rejection of the Liberal Party's failed agenda, which Western Australians have said is not substantial. As I mentioned yesterday on housing, and we saw it again today from the member for Murray–Wellington—extraordinary stuff—he was feigning concerns for renters. You cannot make this stuff up. The opposition took no policies to the last election. It matched us in terms of our future spend. It voted down tenants rights for renters. Then in the script provided by Graham Mason, because the Leader of the Liberal Party cannot write anything himself, he talks about his fears for vulnerable Western Australians. This is the Liberal leader whose legacy to date at the City of Perth, other than all the rubbish that is going on right now, is that he shut down a women's shelter despite so many vulnerable women needing that service and despite the fact that nurses were protesting outside of his council chambers. We are not seeing anything different in the performance of the opposition right now. We will continue to see hypocrisy in their statements in this chamber. We will continue to see contradictions in this chamber. On the one hand, they will say one thing but at the next step, they will say another. That is clearly demonstrated on the housing front. We have an opposition that does not genuinely care or have any real consideration for those who are doing it tough or are vulnerable. If opposition members cared, they would actually step up when votes, like on tenancy reform for renters, come to Parliament. Instead, they voted it down, and that is their shame. We get an understanding that opposition members ultimately do not have values in this space. They do not care about it. The only time they really care about it is when they contact me because they want to drive social housing tenants out of their constituencies. They do not care about social housing or affordable housing. As the Leader of the Liberal Party has consistently demonstrated in the past, he does not care about vulnerable people. His legacy at the City of Perth was to drive homeless people out of the city and close down a women's shelter. I tell you what: his legacy is not economic activity. Our government will be holding a forum with property owners and Activate Perth in the new year about the CBD core because of the City of Perth's failures—the Liberal leader's failures—to activate the core of our city. One of his major signature milestones and legacies is a complete failure to activate the core of the CBD. Of course, he was happy to spruik ridiculous spending priorities. We should come to that. From the Liberal leader we saw commitments to the most ridiculous spending priorities that any Liberal Party could embrace. One was a Coachella music festival—I mean, could we make that up? What happened to the Coachella music festival? I do not know. It just disappeared. He suggested the Commonwealth Games, and when he was asked about the cost of that, it was $1 billion plus. Then, of course, his pet project was Langley Park and the river foreshore. I have already read into Parliament how, when he was pressed about the cost of that, he said, "Oh well, you know the costs." Is it $1 billion or $1.5 billion? I mean, we cannot make this stuff up! These are the political priorities of the WA Liberals: Coachella, Langley Park and the river foreshore, and the Commonwealth Games. They are Mad Hatter ideas. Mr Daniel Pastorelli: And the Bell Tower! Mr John Carey: Sorry, I forgot the Bell Tower. I wonder who gave him that script or whether it was off the cuff. Mr Daniel Pastorelli: It was off the cuff. Mr John Carey: Maybe it was. I think it was off the cuff. Mr Daniel Pastorelli: He wasn't reading a script. Mr John Carey: He was not reading the script. He was not standing in the thing there, holding his script. Yes, that was off the cuff. We see that we have an opposition that either has no policies or contradicts itself on a consistent basis. Alternatively, we see the Liberal leader coming up with Mad Hatter ideas—ideas that Western Australians look at and say, "That's just actually really strange. I don't know why he's pursuing those ideas." Of course, we look at his performance. We do not have to look at the Barnett government; we are not looking at that, even though the member for Nedlands has reminded us about the Barnett government's performance. If we look at the City of Perth's performance, we find we are having to come in to help fix the CBD core. The property owners are not happy. We are having to talk about why foot traffic and the CBD's economic activity declined under the Liberal leader. What an incredible legacy that is to look forward to! I do not think we ever will see it because the member for Kalamunda will sweep in. At some stage, the Liberals will realise that they cannot win at all with the current Liberal leader. As we saw in Joe Spagnolo's column, the member for Kalamunda is the one to watch in the Liberal Party. Mr Daniel Pastorelli: He is the frontrunner! Mr John Carey: He is the frontrunner. The member for Carine may be his deputy. Those two together may be a lethal combo. At least we know with that combo that one will not do secret polling to knock over the other. At least we know that. The greatest running entertainment is watching the member for Vasse and the member for Churchlands pretend to like each other. We feel for the member for Vasse. Imagine having to sit every day next to the person who commissioned secret polling with his best mate, Cam Sinclair. Then he turned around and said, "I don't know anything about it." No-one believed that. Point of order Mr Liam Staltari: To channel the Attorney General from before— Several members interjected. Mr Basil Zempilas: Aren't points of order heard in silence? Mr Liam Staltari: Yes, that is very true. I will channel the Attorney General. I really do not see the relevance of that commentary to the fundamental services and infrastructure of the motion. The Acting Speaker (Mr Ron Sao): Thank you, member. I will not be upholding that point of order. Minister, please continue. Proceeding resumed Mr John Carey: My connection is this: politics is about providing alternative visions for our state. That is it. That was the last election. People want to see a party's vision and plans and how it is going to deliver them. The problem for the Liberal Party at the last election was that when that polling came out it destroyed any chance for the Liberals to express that vision because people had no confidence that it was a unified political party. The current Liberal leader, through his best mate, commissioned polling that completely undermined the Liberal leader. That is well known. That was the assessment of journalists' commentary. It was one of the most treacherous things ever done at a pivotal time before an election. That is why I raise it. Ultimately, this is about alternative visions for our state, and we know that that side is not united. The plotting will begin as it continues to look at polling about the Liberal leader and how he polarises people, given he shut down a women's shelter and women do not like his approach on a range of values. That will continue, whereas we will show our united vision and our united ambition for WA.

Mr Daniel Pastorelli (Landsdale—Parliamentary Secretary) (6:27 pm): I thank the minister very much for that; it was very entertaining and much appreciated. What a bizarre and embarrassing performance we have seen this afternoon from opposition members. As we finish the year and after the election we had, they are really running out of steam. They are just crawling to the finish line, desperate to get to the end of year so they can have a rest, go on holiday and try to work out what to do next. They have had an embarrassing end of the year under the leadership of the member for Churchlands. This motion was about infrastructure and services. I will not take too long, but I want to spend a bit of time talking about infrastructure and the attempt to rewrite the history of infrastructure delivery in this state. This comes from the same mob, on that side of the house, who refused to fund regional roads in Western Australia. When it came to infrastructure delivery, they took the decision that we should not be investing in regional roads. That was a decision of former minister Hon Brendon Grylls. The deal that was obviously done between the Liberals and the Nationals at the time was: "Let's not fund regional roads." What did we do when we came to government? We said, "No, that's wrong. We should invest in regional roads," and we have invested in regional roads right around this state. We have built incredible pieces of infrastructure for regional Western Australians and for all Western Australians. Then, there is our hospital infrastructure. Let us look at the amount of investment across regional and metropolitan hospitals. The $190-million Geraldton hospital redevelopment is only happening because of a WA Labor government. That infrastructure is happening on the ground. I am sure that the member for Mandurah will want to talk about Peel Health Campus and infrastructure delivery in his part of the world. Recently the Premier, the Minister for Health Infrastructure and the Minister for Health announced the $1.5 billion Building Hospitals Fund to deliver the hospital infrastructure that Western Australians desperately need. We have seen investment in Metronet across the suburbs, whether it be in Yanchep, Ellenbrook, Midland or Byford—all across the suburbs of Perth. Dr Tony Buti interjected. Mr Daniel Pastorelli: I was getting to the member for Armadale! The member for Nedlands came into the house and talked about how we are not getting our fair share of the infrastructure spend, but $5 billion of commonwealth funding is going into Metronet—$5 billion. That is bipartisan. That is the Liberals, Nationals and Labor who are supporting Metronet. The only people who have not supported the Metronet infrastructure is this miserable mob on the other side of the house. They hate it. Honestly, do we have to remind the member for Nedlands about the terrible GST deal that was done in 1999 by Richard Court and Colin Barnett? They said it was a great deal for Western Australia. It was so great that we got to 30 cents in the dollar. That is how good it was. It was up to Labor again to get back into government and sort it out and get a deal for Western Australia that saw us getting our fair share. I could talk more about roads—Mitchell Freeway, Kwinana Freeway, Tonkin Highway and the bridges that have been built. The infrastructure delivery under the Liberals and Nationals was getting a contract out to Malaysia to build a bridge, and then the bridge could not be found so we had to build it here. We got local Western Australians to build the infrastructure for Western Australia. That makes sense, does it not? The opposition's performance this year has been very embarrassing. We know how unpopular the Leader of the Opposition is out there. The Liberals are slowly working it out. If only the member for Vasse had the resources of the Leader of the Opposition has now. Imagine what she could do if she were leader without having someone backstabbing and undermining her every day during the election campaign or in her time in opposition and having the resources of the party and the LOOP office to back her in. The Minister for Housing and Works spoke about the member for Kalamunda as being an option as Leader of the Opposition or maybe the amazing combination of the member for Carine and the member for Kalamunda. I think that the member for Vasse has it in her. I think she still has it in her to come back. It is worth reminding members of a very interesting article from TheAustralian Financial Review back in March. The polling that found that Zempilas's net favourability attracted a negative for every age demographic as well as high-income households and university-educated voters. Zempilas's favourability rating was negative 12 for women and negative three for men and it was in double digit negatives for voters in the 18 to 24 and 35 to 44 age groups. That is a double digit negative for everyone under the age of 44. That is the current Leader of the Opposition's standing. It is no wonder that we have— Point of order Ms Sandra Brewer: My point of order is on the subject of relevance. I think that the member for Landsdale is proving his credentials as an absolute political hack, and he is not contributing to the motion. The Acting Speaker (Mr Ron Sao): Member for Cottesloe, I will not uphold that point of order. Proceeding resumed Mr Daniel Pastorelli: I know that the member for Cottesloe is quite nervous because she has hitched her ride to the Leader of the Opposition's wagon and it is not going well for them at all because we know that under the leadership of the member for Churchlands and the shadow Treasurer, they are anti-development, anti-infrastructure and anti-jobs.

Mrs Lorna Clarke (Butler) (6:42 pm): I rise today for what has become a complete shambles. Yes, member for Cottesloe, I took notes. Ms Sandra Brewer: You're obsessed with me! You haven't even got a minute into your speech! Mrs Lorna Clarke: No, member for Cottesloe, I am obsessed with defending the Yanchep line, and the member mentions it almost every day in this chamber. I cannot figure out why, because she still has not been on it. She still has not come up to Yanchep and had lunch with me, but that is an endless offer; she is always welcome! I took some notes; they make no sense. What a complete hotchpotch and alphabet soup of a debate this afternoon. Members opposite did not even stick to their opposition portfolios. I could not even work out who had which portfolio from the debate this afternoon. The voting public knows this. The voting public knows that this is an opposition that has no new ideas, that has done no policy work, that is divided, and that cannot even govern itself, never mind govern the state, so why give them a chance? I do not think people should, at this point. I say to the voting public right now: watch out who you vote for, because of the way the opposition is operating with the chaos and shambles. Some members on the other side are for net zero and some are against it. There are some who want some new housing, but they do not want it anywhere near their train stations. God forbid we build any new housing or have any sort of density in the western suburbs! The member for Nedlands says, "Put it in the outer suburbs!" I am happy if the member wants to build more apartments all the way up the train line to Yanchep—bring it on! But at the end of the day, the opposition will have to get out of the way for us to be able to do that. The opposition joins with the Greens in the other place to refer things to committees that just create red tape in planning, and then it comes into this chamber this week and says, "Oh, they haven't built enough houses." I mean, the hypocrisy of it! The gall! It is just a complete mess. I am not obsessed with the member for Cottesloe, but I am going take every opportunity— Ms Sandra Brewer: It sounds like you are! Mrs Lorna Clarke: Really, no. I am going to defend my electorate, because once again this week, the member described the Yanchep line as not being value for money, and I fundamentally disagree with her. I fundamentally disagree with her political ideology in saying that those in the suburbs do not deserve public transport, and that those in the suburbs are not worth the money. It is some technocratic business case analysis that she somehow got from some training course 10 years ago. Ms Sandra Brewer interjected. Mrs Lorna Clarke: I look at the numbers of people who get on that train line and how it has transformed their lives. I encourage the member to come and meet them. Ms Sandra Brewer interjected. The Acting Speaker (Mr Ron Sao): Member for Cottesloe! Mrs Lorna Clarke: The member for Nedlands has come up to Butler to meet them, and I say: keep on coming. I would prefer if he did not politicise my local businesses, but he is more than welcome in my electorate. The comments we have heard this week on housing are just unbelievable. I find it really offensive when opposition members turn around and say we need to build more housing and that we are not delivering on that, because every time I drive up and down Mitchell Freeway and Marmion Avenue, all I see is new housing. All I see is how we are building houses as quickly as we can for families moving into WA from— Ms Sandra Brewer: Eight thousand less a year. Mrs Lorna Clarke: That is more than you would have done. That is more than you are capable of doing, because you have not come up with any policies or any ideas. Ms Sandra Brewer interjected. Mrs Lorna Clarke: Member for Cottesloe, I will take the interjections because we are building housing and we are opening up new developments. I have seen it firsthand in Yanchep and in Eglinton. I have entire new developments where I go and doorknock, with brand-new housing. They are built and delivered. For you to turn around and say that this government does not deliver services and infrastructure is just a joke. You are a joke. Seriously. I am conscious of the time and of letting everyone else have a say, but I will go through everything that has been delivered in my electorate. Labor has extended the freeway to Romeo Road, and Labor has built the Metronet Yanchep line with new train stations at Eglinton, Alkimos and Yanchep. Labor, and only Labor, has spent $290 million on new and refurbished schools in my electorate since 2017, and we have more money and more schools on the way. There will be four new schools in my electorate. More than $45 million will be spent on the Alkimos North East Primary School, which will be delivered in 2027. Additional funds will be spent on Eglinton North Primary School to be delivered in 2028. In 2028, we will also deliver the Yanchep East Primary School, and by 2030 we will have delivered the Alkimos North High School—another secondary college in my electorate that was much needed. For the opposition to come into this place and say that this Labor government does not deliver for people from Butler to Two Rocks is just a joke. The opposition in this state is a joke. There will be $23 million for a new fire station in Yanchep, with 40 new career firefighters. We will deliver an urgent care clinic in Yanchep. I have worked so hard with Tracey Roberts, the federal member for Pearce, to deliver this medical service to Yanchep and Two Rocks, and it will service areas beyond that, and further south in Alkimos and Eglinton. The state government has delivered the ECU Health Hub, which has a new bulk-billing GP, allied health services, baby health clinic services and immunisation services. We will invest an additional $1.5 billion in health, so to come into this place and criticise us for not delivering on infrastructure and services in WA is a joke. There will be $3 million spent on a new Alkimos Surf Life Saving Club delivered in my electorate. We have spent billions on the Alkimos desalination plant. The pipes for the desal plant, as we heard from the Minister for Water today, are made in WA, creating jobs here. This is just some of the delivery that we are actually seeing on the ground. Opposition members have come in with a hotchpotch of random bits and pieces; it is sort of emblematic of their thinking and their inability to work as a group—the inability of the Nationals and the Liberals to actually work in coalition. I lived through the Howard years; I remember what a coalition looks like. This is not it. You cannot govern like this. You cannot operate like this. The member for Kalamunda came in and had a go at a scare campaign on crime, which was just a bit of a joke, really. That portfolio clearly does not suit him in that sense. I think that, at the end of the day, we actually have to face facts here: it is Labor that has delivered these things, and will keep delivering these things. It is just such a shame. I am not even sure where to start a response to these sorts of things when everyone on that side of the house is so divided and their policy is such a shambles. I will leave it there so that others can have their say. Member for Cottesloe, I will always defend my electorate. It is not about you; it is about the people I represent who live in the suburbs of Jindalee, Ridgewood and Butler, all the way up to Two Rocks.

Mrs Magenta Marshall (Rockingham) (6:50 pm): Wow! Where to begin today? The contributions of those opposite have been very scattered; I think in their words it was a bit of a schemozzle. I cannot imagine coming to this place with a motion condemning infrastructure and services and then spending time talking about some of the incredible work that we are doing—the $1.5 billion health maintenance boost, the $11.3 million maintenance investment boost for WA public schools, the record number of police officers across the state and many more. However, I thank the opposition for bringing this motion to Parliament because it gives me an opportunity to talk about some of the projects in Rockingham, albeit I will do so very briefly. One of the biggest projects occurring in my electorate right now is the redevelopment of our two public high schools. We are delivering a significant $61.5 million major redevelopment project at Rockingham Senior High School and Rockingham Senior High School Education Support Centre at its co-located site. We are also investing a further $41.5 million to upgrade Safety Bay Senior High School. These redevelopment works include a new $1.5 million STEM laboratory at each school to make sure that the kids in Rockingham have access to the education they need for the jobs of the future. In exciting news, the contracts for these multimillion-dollar redevelopments have been awarded and construction is underway at both sites. The project at Rockingham Senior High School will deliver a new purpose-built education support hub with eight classrooms, as well as specialists and therapy-related facilities, with an associated bus drop-off area to support students with additional needs. New facilities for the high school will include a state-of-the-art technologies block for materials, technology workshops, a textile studio, STEM laboratory and a home economics studio with a commercial kitchen and cafe. There will also be a new sports hall, including change rooms and toilets, along with a new visual arts, media, information technology and music block. Student services facilities will be refurbished as well as IT laboratories, computer labs and the current drama classrooms, and the gymnasium will be turned into a new performing arts theatre and dance studio. This project has been designed by Parry and Rosenthal Architects. The main construction contract has been awarded, with the work to be delivered in several stages. It is due to be completed by July 2029. I am really very excited to be delivering that project. Nearby, just down the road at Safety Bay Senior High School, our impressive project will include a new admin block, a new double-storey sports hall and arts building, refurbishment of a food science studio, conversion of an art studio, refurbishment of the old gymnasium and turning it into a performing arts theatre, as well as other works to some of the other blocks on that site. This project design was carried out by T&Z Architects. The construction contract was awarded to McCorkell Constructions, with final works due to be completed in May 2028. As a local mum, I am really proud that we are investing in our kids and their future, and as someone who grew up in Cooloongup, I am so proud to be backing my community with these redevelopments. They will not only improve education outcomes, but also strengthen our community and support local jobs. There are a number of things I wanted to get to today, but I am conscious that other members want to talk. I was going to talk about our investment in TAFE and training because unlike the legacy of those opposite, we have invested a record amount in our people so that they have the skills to access the jobs that we need to deliver services and infrastructure across our community. In the last three years, we have delivered 32 new beds at Rockingham General Hospital, and a business case is currently underway to deliver a new 10-bed mental health emergency centre. In the area of family and domestic violence, as members have already heard today, we have already delivered 91 new refuge units in the state in this term of government, with a further 102 in the pipeline, including expanding capacity at Lucy Saw Centre in Rockingham. We are widening Kwinana Freeway, which is a massive road network project that will have a major impact for those in my local community who need to commute up and down that freeway. It can be a bit of a gridlock at the moment. We have reached an important milestone with expression of interests going out early last month. In the Kwinana Strategic Industrial Area, we are upgrading Mason Road and Rockingham Road, as well as Beard Street and Rockingham Road. These key intersections access the Australian Marine Complex and Henderson. With AUKUS coming online, there is major growth in that part of the world and connecting the people in Rockingham is so important for those in my area who will be accessing those jobs. As we approach the high summer threat period, I take this opportunity to recognise the extraordinary work of our firefighters and the significant boosts that the Cook Labor government has delivered to strengthen emergency services in Western Australia. In December last year, we proudly welcomed 40 new career firefighters to our state in the largest ever graduating class from a single WA Fire and Emergency Services academy school. Those new frontline workers joined the career fire and rescue service as part of the Cook government's $23 million commitment to recruit an additional 60 career firefighters, with the final 20 to be delivered soon. This is the biggest investment in our frontline emergency services in more than 50 years. I use this opportunity to say thank you to every firefighter across Western Australia. To our dedicated crews in Rockingham, who support our community year round, thank you. Your commitment means everything to me. As the summer months commence and the weather warms and the risks increase, I know that our community is safer because of their efforts. As I said, I wanted to talk about a number of things, but I know that other members would like an opportunity to contribute, so I will leave my remarks there.