Liberals too focused on unsuccessful progressive inner-city seats: Hastie

Canning MP and shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie has delivered a scathing assessment of the party’s obsession with progressive inner-city seats as his WA Liberal colleagues lick their wounds following their second-worst defeat in history.

With 40 of 59 seats secured by WA Labor and up to four seats still in play, the shock result has left both parties pondering its impact on the upcoming federal election.

Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie at the waterfront of Mandurah, in his electorate of Canning.Credit: Trevor Collens

Hastie is one of WA’s most popular Liberal MPs and his seat straddles Perth’s mortgage belt in the south and south east.

In comments that will raise eyebrows for Liberals looking to unseat teals like his colleague Curtin candidate Tom White is hoping to do, Hastie said his party had been too focused on winning progressive inner-city seats while forgetting the opportunities in the outer suburbs.

“The Liberal Party has always stood for forgotten Australians, and in recent years we’ve been too focused on higher socio-economic electorates that are more progressive. But without success,” he said.

“Our greatest swings have been in seats where we’ve made the smallest investment.

“We need to remember our roots, and get back to fighting for working Australians in forgotten parts of WA.”

WA Labor’s monster margins in outer suburban areas of Perth helped it weather huge swings of up to 20 per cent against candidates in those seats.

Hastie said these were green shoots for the Liberals in outer suburban Perth seats like Hasluck, Pearce and Bullwinkel.

“It shows that families and seniors in the outer-metropolitan areas to the north, south and east of the Golden Triangle are doing it tough,” he said.

“That’s where the biggest swings against Labor were and that’s where the opportunity lies for the Liberals in seats like Hasluck, Pearce and Bullwinkel.

“They are looking for leadership on cost of living, housing, roads and public transport, and essential services like health and aged care.”

In Hastie’s neighbouring seat of Burt, Labor’s Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh was also borrowing confidence from the state results.

“We’ve seen the hard work of good local state MPs pay off at the state election, and that’s exactly what our federal members of parliament have been doing on the ground, working with their communities and certainly it’s a result that gives us confidence in Western Australia federally,” he said.

“We’ve worked exceptionally well with the Cook Labor Government to deliver things like the energy bill credits that have really helped people with cost of living pressures.”

Premier Roger Cook addresses supporters with wife Carly Lane at campaign HQ in Medina as the ALP celebrates being returned to power in WA.Credit: Trevor Collens

Fresh off Labor’s second-best ever showing at a state election, Premier Roger Cook declared he would be side by side with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the hustings of the federal election campaign.

Speaking from his electorate of Kwinana 35 kilometres south of Perth on Sunday, a jubilant Cook emphatically backed Albanese, drawing comparisons to his own policy platform.

“I obviously want to see a federal and Albanese Labor government returned,” he said.

“Prime Minister Albanese has provided great leadership for this country, they’ve stabilised the economy and continue to create jobs, and they’ve got a vision for the country similar to ours with regards to manufacturing.

“I’m very much looking forward to working on the hustings, doing my bit to see re-election of an Albanese Labor Government.”

The federal leaders have given WA a wide berth this campaign with both Labor and Liberal insiders seeing no benefit in muddying the waters with unpopular leaders.

Albanese was scheduled to visit WA late last week but he cancelled his plans due to cyclone Alfred.

Cook said Albanese had texted him to congratulate him on his victory while the Prime Minister praised the victory in Canberra.

“It’s been a disciplined, effective campaign and they achieved the results that they deserved,” Albanese said.

“There was always going to be a drop from the quite frankly stratospheric result of the 2021 election. But this is, to put it in context, this is the second-largest victory in history in Western Australia.

“That is quite remarkable for a government seeking a third term in office.”

Dutton rubbished suggestions the result spelt trouble for his party and said Cook was still riding the wave of former premier Mark McGowan’s success.

He said Labor’s strong result reflected Cook’s past clashes with the federal government over Nature Positive laws.

“I think Roger Cook has picked the mood in WA and he’s been opposed to many of the positions taken by Anthony Albanese,” he said.