‘I’m used to getting told off’: WA MP ends final day in parliament with a ‘shoey’

A West Australian Labor MP has ended his time in parliament with a “shoey”.

Upper house Labor MP Kyle McGinn delivered his entire 56-minute valedictory speech wearing only one shoe, ending it by pouring a beer into his other shoe and downing the beverage in the style made famous by Perth F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo.

Retiring WA Labor Upper House MP Kyle McGinn doing a shoey on his last day in parliament.Credit: Hamish Hastie

“I thought so long and hard about how to finish this speech, and my constituents in the Goldfields, I think, will be particularly appreciative – there’s only one way to do it,” he said while pouring the beer.

“I’m used to getting told off, so we might as well get this over and done with, but I would like to say to the members and the constituents across WA, thank you for two fantastic terms. Cheers.”

Some members laughed and applauded while others recoiled as the mulleted politician downed the beer.

Legislative Council President Alanna Clohesy was not impressed, standing up to order McGinn to take his seat.

“The honourable member is very well aware that he ran a very fine line in offending the dignity of council, so I’m assuming his speech has concluded,” she said.

During his colourful valedictory speech, McGinn described himself as an “accidental politician” and “a bloke who enjoys too many beers on too many occasions”.

The former Maritime Union of Australia organiser also described the MUA as the “GOAT” (greatest of all time) of all unions.

He also had an underhanded dig at the government’s Westport project, describing automation at ports as a “hoax” and a “joke”.

McGinn revealed he was diagnosed with severe anxiety about a year and a half into his role.

He said he was in Karratha with Labor minister Paul Papalia when he thought he was having a heart attack, which actually turned out to be a severe panic attack.

WA upper house MP Kyle McGinn does a “shoey” at the end of his final speech to parliament.Credit: Parliament House live stream

“Standing here today and talking about mental health struggles is still difficult, and I don’t normally shy away from talking about hard topics, that’s why I don’t want to leave here without making a mention there is no shame in asking for help,” he said.

“Please, fellas in particular, trust me on this: ask for help.”

McGinn was a victim of factional power plays that left him without a winnable spot on Labor’s upper house ticket ahead of the March election.

The new upper house will be sworn in on Thursday, but McGinn had already been causing waves in his last week in WA’s parliament.

On Tuesday, McGinn used his final member’s statement to rail against oil and gas giant Chevron over its tax contributions and hiring practices.

“Chevron is fixated on the bottom line, maximising short-term profits and exploiting our natural resources without putting much back into developing job opportunities or improving the lives of West Australian workers,” he said.

“Chevron does the bare minimum in this regard, but does its very best in facilitating its contractors to avoid complying with Australian workplace laws.”

These comments forced Premier Roger Cook to jump to Chevron’s defence.

“Well, he’s entitled to say what he thinks. He’s a member of parliament, but I don’t agree with those comments,” Cook said during a press conference.

“Members of parliament are, from time to time, prone to making comments which perhaps are a bit intemperate, but I think Chevron are a great industry player.

“They are a good part of our economy, and quite frankly, they support WA workers, and we will continue to work with them to continue to keep the Western Australian economy the strongest in the nation.

“He is finished up as a member of parliament, and thank him for his service to the public.

“I’ve known Kyle for a number of years, and he’s a gentleman of strong views, and we know from time to time, MPs like to express those strong views.”

McGinn was first elected to the upper house in 2017, and he was a parliamentary secretary for the entire last term of parliament.

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