Anthony Albanese’s election bus heads west with $200m cash injection for key marginal hospital

Anthony Albanese is hitting WA for the first time in the election campaign as he attempts to hold the four seats that Labor won from the Liberals in 2022.

St John of God Midland Public Hospital in Perth. Picture: Richard Wainwright/AAP

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Anthony Albanese is hitting Western Australia for the first time in the election campaign, as he tries to hold on to the four seats Labor won from the Liberals in 2022 and aims to pick up the newly created electorate of ­Bullwinkel.

The Prime Minister is likely to come under pressure in the resources state for vowing to legislate the Environment Protection Agency if he is re-elected, with the green cop opposed by WA Premier Roger Cook.

While Peter Dutton will try to keep the debate around energy prices and cost of living, Mr Albanese will spend the week focusing on health as part of his campaign claiming a Coalition government would cut Medicare.

On Monday, Mr Albanese will join Mr Cook to make a joint $355m funding pledge to upgrade the St John of God Midland Public Hospital.

A re-elected Albanese government will tip in $200m of the money for the redevelopment, which will increase the number of beds, establish a new emergency department and deliver a redesign of the obstetrics and neonatal unit.

The hospital is in the seat of Hasluck, which Labor won at the last election from former Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt.

Anthony Albanese and WA Premier Roger Cook. Picture: NewsWire/Philip Gostelow

“We’re working with the Cook Labor government to build WA’s future,” Mr Albanese said.

“Only Labor is strengthening Medicare, with the largest ever investment in more than 40 years.”

Labor is at a high-water mark in the traditionally Liberal-friendly WA, holding a majority of the 16 seats in the state on the back of Scott Morrison’s unpopularity at the last election.

Labor and Coalition figures do not expect many West Australian seats to change hands at this federal election, despite the political debate changing significantly since Covid.

The most at risk Labor-held seat is Tangney, which is held by Sam Lim on a margin of 2.85 per cent.

The new seat of Bullwinkel is notionally held by Labor on a margin of 3.35 per cent, with it to be heavily targeted by the Liberals and Nationals.

The Liberals are also spending big money in an attempt to unseat teal MP Kate Chaney from the former blue-ribbon seat of Curtin.