WA LIBERALS’ LISTENING TOUR CONTINUES
- Basil Zempilas MLA
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
Over the past two weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to spend valuable time on the WA Liberals Listening Tour, talking with Western Australians in the Peel region and northern suburbs. What I’m hearing loud and clear is that many people continue to feel let down by the Cook Labor Government.
In Peel and Mandurah, I joined our hard-working Federal Member for Canning, the Hon Andrew Hastie MP. People we met in the shopping centre and on the streets spoke of their level of frustration about what should be considered one of the fundamentals in life - housing affordability. Andrew and I heard first-hand from locals who said they’ve never found it harder to get into a home of their own. Even more concerning, many spoke about the rising number of people sleeping rough. Community safety, particularly after dark, was another consistent concern raised in Mandurah. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own neighbourhood.
The Peel Health Campus is another area where the Cook Labor Government has failed to deliver in the region. The crucial $152 million redevelopment project at the Peel hospital precinct continues to lag well behind schedule, all while patients are spending records numbers of hours in the back of ambulances waiting to be transferred into hospital care.
Last Friday I headed north to join my State Parliamentary colleague Liam Staltari MLA in his Carine electorate.
Despite being only a few months into the role, Liam has hit the ground running and is already earning a reputation as a strong local advocate - he’s becoming a local “rockstar” for good reason.
We started our day with a coffee at the excellent Marmalade Café - a great example of the small businesses that form the heart of local communities - before visiting the inspirational Brother Olly Pickett at Wheelchairs for Kids in Wangara. Brother Olly’s organisation, which has provided more than 64,000 children across 90 countries with their own wheelchair, is a testament to what’s possible when compassion and community leadership combine. His recent honour as 2025 Senior Australian of the Year is well deserved.
Like every region I’ve so far visited on the WA Liberals Listening Tour, people in Carine are increasingly worried about the State’s health system, while they also raised frustrations that their local concerns relating to road safety were being ignored by the Cook Labor Government.
These stories from Mandurah, Peel and Carine remind me why listening matters at every level, and that the Cook Labor Government is constantly ignoring local issues and concerns. I look forward to continuing to meet many more Western Australians in their suburbs, their businesses and their communities as we work towards a better future together.
STANDING WITH FEDERAL LIBERAL LEADER THE HON. SUSSAN LEY
I recently had the privilege of welcoming new Federal Liberal Leader Sussan Ley to Western Australia.
Sussan is a determined, hard-working leader who understands the issues that matter to WA families, businesses and communities. During her visit, we discussed AUKUS and the vitaland urgent importance of the State and Federal Governments’ commitment to infrastructure projects at Henderson and HMAS Stirling, and more broadly, the future of the State and Federal Liberal landscapes.
Like you, I am encouraged by Sussan’s decision to make two visits to Western Australia in quick succession, with her next visit due in early August to the Kimberley. Sussan and I both know our party faces significant future challenges, but we’re committed to listening and to fighting for the priorities of Western Australians every day.
