Prime Minister Anthony Albanese makes major promises to Western Australia

Anthony Albanese has promised to spend more time in one state and become a “regular visitor” in an apparent dig at the former government.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised to spend more time in Western Australia and become a “regular visitor” in an apparent dig at the former government.

Speaking in Perth ahead of his flight to Indonesia where he will meet President Joko Widodo, Mr Albanese said he will visit Western Australia at least 10 times over the next year and hold at least two cabinet meetings in the state, in Perth and Port Headland.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to media with members of his Western Australian Labor team in Perth. Picture: by Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

He congratulated Premier Mark McGowan for the state’s economic success during Covid-19 and thanked residents for their “sacrifice” during the pandemic.

“It is great to be here,” the Prime Minister said on Sunday, claiming he wants to “work with Western Australia”.

“This is my fifth visit to Western Australia this year, which isn’t bad given that I wasn’t able to come for half of this year.

“But I made a commitment as Leader of the Labor Party that I would come to Western Australia 10 times a year. And I repeat that commitment as Prime Minister, that I will endeavour to be a regular visitor here, not just someone who drops in when there’s an election campaign, but spends time here, because I want to be the Prime Minister for the entire country.

“And indeed, during the pandemic, the success of Western Australia in keeping our economy going was absolutely vital during that period.

“So I say to Mark McGowan and his Government, but more importantly to the people of Western Australia, we appreciate the sacrifice that you made during that difficult time in order to keep each other safe but also it had benefits for our national economy.

“I want to make sure that we continue to engage with West Australians. I always enjoy my time here. It’s an important part of the nation.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to media during a city visit in Perth. Picture: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese boarding his plane in Perth. Picture supplied by the Australian Government

Mr Albanese said “there is a new government in town in Canberra” with “a new government governing for all Australians, whether they voted Labor this time or whether we’ll seek to get their vote next time around.

“I am determined to govern for all Australians and to make sure that we end the conflict fatigue, that we lower the temperature, whereby everything the former government did, and I’ve seen some of it through the briefings I’ve had already as Prime Minister, everything was always about the politics.

“I want it to be about the national interest, not short-term political interests.”

Mr Albanese spent Saturday night in Perth where he dined with “good friend” Premier Mark McGowan.

“We had a very enjoyable dinner, we discussed issues of concern to Western Australia in the lead-up to the meeting that I’ll hold at the end of next week with the national cabinet, which will meet in Canberra,” Mr Albanese said.

“When I was the Minister for infrastructure, we did the largest ever road project in WA, Gateway WA, we widened the Great Eastern Highway, we did the Perth City Link project uniting the Northbridge precinct with the city, and the urban development project that is one of the best that’s ever been done in this country.

“We funded projects including the Great Northern Highway, North West Coastal Highway, the railway line to the Port of Esperance, Kalgoorlie infrastructure projects, right throughout WA.”