Mark H.
March the 9th saw a state election in
Western Australia.
It was a typical two horse race, with not much substantive policy
difference, and it again revealed issues with the preferential voting
system.
The Liberal Party flaunted its big business connections with
expensive saturation advertising with posters and bill boards and glossy letter
drops right across the state.
The ALP ''opposition'' was led by the right-wing Mark McGowan.
Interestingly, the ALP was pressured through sections of the union
movement to adopt an anti-privatisation stance, which got it some
traction with an electorate tired of huge and ever increasing bills for gas,
electricity and water, previously state owned institutions. Barnett has a
particular zeal for the privatisation of public
assets, particularly hospital services and electricity provision.
Meanwhile, the state is falling further into debt as a result of the
copious spending of tax payers’ money on building roads, rail and port
facilities in the north to assist big mining interests, both local and overseas,
and also the Perth waterfront playground being built for the rich and famous.
Much of the election was based on law and order, with both parties
vowing to bash offenders harder than each other, with scant regards to the
social conditions of the working class and the logical outcomes of policies
that are designed to suit the class interests of big business.
It looks like more struggles are ahead for workers and their families as
the only winner in this election was business, local and foreign.
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