Former MLC Darren West labels O'Connor as ‘Australia's dumbest electorate'
A former member of WA's Upper House has labelled O'Connor as 'Australia's dumbest electorate' for re-electing Liberal MP Rick Wilson.
In now-deleted comments on his Facebook page made on May 4, Darren West called Mr Wilson 'Australia's dumbest politician'.
'Australia's dumbest politician re-elected by Australia's dumbest electorate,' the comment reads.
The comments were posted in response to debate around former Federal Liberal leader Peter Dutton's proposal to build a nuclear power plant in Collie.
Mr Wilson labelled the comments as 'appalling', and said he found the comments about the people of O'Connor 'offensive'.
'The really disappointing thing about those comments is that he can say whatever he likes about me, but his comments regarding the people of O'Connor . . . I find it really offensive,' he said.
'It's a shame that he didn't make those views about the people of O'Connor when he was still in the Parliament.
'I think it says a fair bit about Darren West, and some of the other comments that he's made on social media reflect far more on him than it does on me.'
Mr Wilson secured his fifth term in office at the Federal election on May 3, with a 6.5 per cent swing to the Liberal member.
Mr West, a Jennacubbine farmer and former chair of the Wheatbelt Development Commission, was first elected to State Parliament in 2013 for the Agricultural region.
In his time in office, Mr West occupied the role of parliamentary secretary for agriculture, energy, environment and climate action.
He delivered his final speech to WA State Parliament on May 21 after deciding to not contest the seat at the 2025 WA State election.
When asked if he wanted to clarify or comment on his Facebook comment, Mr West doubled down and said he thinks the 'comments speak for itself'.
'I sort of don't understand why people in O'Connor would vote for a nuclear reactor in their electorate and vote for government intervening in markets and higher taxes,' he said.
'But they did, and that was my view.
'Rick Wilson — I don't think it's a surprise to anybody — is certainly not the sharpest chisel in Federal Parliament.
'I don't think there's really much need to elaborate on that.'
Misnaming Mr West as Darren Foster, Premier Roger Cook described the comments as disrespectful of an outgoing member of Parliament to media on May 6.
'Those words are not respectful, and I think everyone should be respectful in the community,' he said.
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And while it is mostly the Liberals who have lost seats, the Nationals have re-attached to the Coalition, which means their future relevance depends on the Liberals recovering 30-odd seats, and the Nationals winning a couple themselves off Labor - something the Nationals haven't managed to do since 2013. Once, National candidates could promise their electorate a voice in the government. With that looking a long way away, it is now independent and minor party candidates who can promise relevance: starting national debates, probing the government in question time and perhaps being at the heart of negotiations in the event of a future power-sharing Parliament. If the Nats are not interested in serving the interests of those in rural and regional Australia, they will find no shortage of "tans" willing to throw their Akubras in the ring.
