Kalgoorlie to Laverton: Listening to the Goldfields, Fighting for WA.

For the last year, the WA Liberal Parliamentary team have made it our priority to be out listening to communities across WA, and last week that took us to the Goldfields.

Alongside the Hon. Phil Twiss MLC, the Hon. Neil Thomson MLC and Federal Member for O'Connor Rick Wilson MP, we travelled through Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Gwalia, Leonora and Laverton meeting with locals, businesses and community leaders to hear about the challenges and successes in their communities.

At every stop we were met with great country hospitality, but also with a clear message; the basics just aren’t being delivered.

Housing continues to be one of biggest challenges.  We heard serious concerns about the shortage of Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH), making it harder to attract and retain essential workers, and families in these communities.  At the same time the cost and availability of fuel remain a constant strain on families, business and local industries.

WA Labor talks a big game on housing and last week's announcement was the latest in a long line of flashy press releases, but the reality is their record doesn't match their promises.

Over their last decade in Government, Labor have added just 78 GROH homes and now they are trying to deliver 500 in just four years.

As I travelled around Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the wider region this week, one thing was clear regional communities feel like they are being left behind. They deserve better than spin and announcements. They deserve real delivery.

We will continue to stand up for regional WA, hold the Cook Labor Government to account, and fight for the investment and support these communities need.

This week, we return to Parliament for a full sitting, with the State Budget to be delivered on Thursday.  We'll be looking closely to see real relief for Western Australians, particularly in the areas that matter most: housing, health and household budgets.