WA's new parliament crossbench considers power as Labor's total control comes to end

Australia Broadcast Center

21-05-2025

As WA's new legislative councillors take their seats today, there will no doubt be a few nerves in the chamber.
The March election might not have delivered a change of government, but it has resulted in a significantly reshaped upper house.
Labor has lost its 'total control' of state parliament, meaning it will once more have to negotiate with friends and foes to get its legislation passed.
More than half of members were not there before the election — with both Nationals MPs swapped out, three new Greens members and the return of a crossbench of five members.
For the only returning crossbencher, Legalise Cannabis MP Brian Walker, the change could not have come soon enough.
"People said it was a democracy, but it was actually an autocratic dictatorship. There was no real debate," he said of the last four years.
"The people who write these laws are actually very skilled but they don't cover everything, and so when you do examine it in detail, as we should, you find little things coming up which make a big difference."
The example often pointed to by critics was the government's failed attempt to re-write Aboriginal cultural heritage laws, which was wound back in the weeks after Roger Cook became premier.
From today, the government will have three options to get support for its legislation: the Greens, the opposition or the five crossbench MPs.
Traditionally, the Greens would most closely be aligned with Labor's priorities — with leader Brad Pettitt declaring his group of four would be focused on housing, cost of living and climate action.
It's that final point where the duo's alignment might come under pressure, especially with journalist-turned-politician Sophie McNeill leading the party's climate charge.
McNeill was escorted out of oil and gas giant Woodside's AGM earlier this month after protesting the company's climate action.
The incoming leader of the opposition in the upper house, Nick Goiran, said he would continue being open to working with the government to pass legislation where there was common ground.
"But it's in those minority occasions where you want to have some improvement and some enhancements. Let's be honest, no government produces flawless pieces of art to the parliament that cannot be critiqued," he said.
"Of course they can be critiqued. That's the job of the opposition and we intend to do it."
If Labor does not want to take either of those options, the crossbench is its final resort.
Brian Walker would at least be a familiar face and while his party's name highlights a major focus, it is not his only one.
"My particular issue is wellness — physical, mental, social and financial wellness," he said.
But he is hoping to make headway on his push for people to be allowed to drive with medicinal cannabis in their system.
"People who are not impaired are declared to be impaired unfairly and [left facing] a lot of consequences," Dr Walker said.
Joining Dr Walker will be two One Nation MPs — leader Rod Caddies and Philip Scott.
Mr Caddies, whose work experience spans construction, child protection and Army Reserves, has been elected on his third attempt.
"When I look at homelessness and the rental crisis, things like that, I think that for me is a major thing I want to look at," he said.
Immigration would be on the agenda in the context of its impact on resources and infrastructure, Mr Caddies said, but he promised his first priority was the "the people of this country".
"It won't be about what our party wants, it'll be about what the people need," he said.
Maryka Groenewald is the Australian Christians' first MP to be elected since the party was created in 2011.
The operation of WA's Equal Opportunity Act, including the ability of schools to "employ staff that share their values" and how to stop "gender centres" from prescribing "life-altering medication for minors" were top of her priorities.
The UK's Cass Review last year recommended significantly limiting the prescription of puberty blockers for people aged under 18 while the Queensland government has paused new transgender patients under the age of 18 from accessing the state's public health system while a review is completed.
"We can't just put our heads in the sand and go 'this is an issue that's not going to affect children and young people', because it is," Ms Groenewald said
"We can't be prescribing life-altering surgeries and medication to kids who just don't have the emotional or psychological capacity to understand what they're doing."
The former community development worker said she was already thinking about trying to establish a parliamentary inquiry into the issue.
It is in that space where the non-government parties could wield the greatest influence in the upper house.
If the Liberals, Nationals, Greens and crossbenchers voted together, they would have the numbers to establish parliamentary inquiries or refer legislation to a committee for review.
Animal Justice Party MP Amanda Dorn rounds out the crossbench but did not respond to the ABC's enquiries.
A former City of Swan councillor and real estate agent, her profile on the party's website describes her as being "deeply committed to protecting the natural environment and fostering a more compassionate society".
The page lists her previous campaigning on issues including factory farming, climate change and wildlife conservation.