IT’S TIME TO MAKE HEALTH THE TOP PRIORITY

 There is no more fundamental responsibility of any government than to care for the sick, the injured and the dying - and to ensure our health system is properly supported to deliver safe, high-quality care. Health should be the Labor Government’s number one priority. Right now, it clearly isn’t. Last month alone, ambulances were stranded outside WA hospitals for a record 7009 hours. That’s not just a number — that’s thousands of hours where ambulances are off the road, unable to respond to other emergencies, and where patients are left waiting for hospital admission. 

This is not just a system failure - it’s a human one. These patients are our parents, our children, our friends and neighbours. Last Friday, I wrote to the Premier, urging him to put health where it belongs: at the top of his Government’s agenda - ahead of train lines, soccer matches, film studios, racetracks and public holidays. But he’s not listening - not to the medical experts, not to the frontline workers, and not to the Western Australians living the consequences of this crisis. It’s time the Premier admitted they can do a lot more, listen to the experts and properly address the crisis in our health system.

PUTTING TRANSPARENCY FIRST 

One of the simplest and most important ways to restore trust in politics is to ensure election promises are independently and transparently costed. That’s why Shadow Treasurer Sandra Brewer is taking decisive action and will introduce a Private Members Bill to establish a Parliamentary Budget Office in Western Australia.

This reform has been recommended time and again under Labor’s leadership - and ignored every time. Voters deserve better. A Parliamentary Budget Office will hold all parties to the same standard, giving the public confidence that taxpayer money is being treated with the respect it deserves.

Sandra Brewer is showing real leadership by championing this change. I’m proud to stand alongside her. This is about integrity, transparency, and doing politics the right way – and Western Australians deserve nothing less.

LISTENING TOUR ROLLS ON

The WA Liberals' Listening Tour continues, and I’m confident we are connecting meaningfully with people right across the State. With the Hon Michelle Boylan MLC, we visited the beautiful South West town of Harvey, sharing coffee with locals, touring the St John Ambulance sub-centre and meeting students and staff at the impressive WA College of Agriculture. We finished the day in Wellesley, taking part in an informative energy and industry roundtable organised by the Hon Steve Thomas MLC. 

Unsurprisingly, familiar concerns emerged again - lengthy approval backlogs and restricted access to energy infrastructure - issues raised repeatedly throughout this tour.

WA has fallen from being the fourth most attractive place in the world to invest in the resources sector to 17th. We’re now ranked behind Guyana, San Juan and New Zealand - a clear sign that the Cook Labor Government has lost sight of what matters for our economy and our future.

Today I joined the Hon Michelle Hofmann, south of the river, engaging with the education, heritage, local government, sport and small business sectors. We met many passionate locals keen to share their views and ideas on how the WA Liberals can shape a better future for all Western Australians.

It was also a pleasure to attend the recent Women’s Council dinner with Libby Mettam, David Bolt and Michelle Boylan, where we spoke about the reset of the WA Liberal Party, our first four months in Parliament, and why I remain hugely optimistic and energised about the journey ahead.