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West Australian
2 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Nationals candidate and Keep the Sheep campaigner Paul Brown loses Federal Senate bid
Keep the Sheep campaigner and Nationals candidate Paul Brown said he has no regrets in running for the Senate, saying 'life goes on', while remaining optimistic about the future of agriculture. The Australian Electoral Commission announced the WA Senate results for the 2025 Federal election on Thursday, in which Mr Brown failed to claim a seat. The two newly-elected WA senators are Labor's Ellie Whiteaker and Pauline Hanson's One Nation's Tyron Whitten. Liberals Slade Brockman and Matt O'Sullivan, Labor's Varun Ghosh and The Greens' Jordan Steele-John have retained their positions in the Senate. Mr Brown said he was not surprised by the loss which he described as a 'very long shot' for The Nationals to win a seat in the Senate, but he went into the election with his 'eyes wide open'. 'We always had a strong campaign on the back of the Keep the Sheep campaign and our Nationals campaign, particularly with Mia Davies for Bullwinkle,' he said. 'We haven't had a Nationals senator for some 45, 50 years, so we always knew it was going to be a long shot. 'But we wanted to put our best foot forward and make sure that regional WA had a true regional voice at the table. 'It's just a pity that people from across WA didn't support the Nationals and myself and our bid to have a candidate that would be a strong supporter of regional WA.' Despite the looming live sheep export ban, Mr Brown is positive about WA's 'bright' agricultural future and opportunities. Mr Brown said he would like to see an extension of the live export ban from 2028 to 2034 to provide a 'softer landing' and time to adjust for WA sheep farmers, acknowledging the repeal of the legislation is unlikely. 'We have seen the devastating consequences of that legislation being born out right now with farmers leaving the industry; truckies selling off their fleets, shearers leaving the industry, a very much reduced wool clip, and putting our merino and wool sector in WA at risk,' he said. Mr Brown said he could not see himself running in an election again, whether it be State or Federal, but it is a 'long way in the future'. 'I can't see there being a need for me, but I think that the Nationals have now toured a State election and the Federal election have proven their brand, and that I would hope that someone else would be standing up,' he said. He said agriculture organisations and the wider agriculture industry needed to rethink and hold a conversation about who they wanted representing them. 'I don't think there's anyone at the moment in the political landscape, at a Federal level in WA, that will stand up solely for the regions and agriculture ahead of the party,' Mr Brown said. The AEC will formally declare the results of the WA Senate poll on June 3.
West Australian
3 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Labor member Trish Cook vows to support Bullwinkel sheep farmers in the wake of the live export ban
Labor's Trish Cook has vowed not to forget her rural constituents as she begins her role as the first Member for Bullwinkel. Bullwinkel is a new seat stretching from Perth's metropolitan fringe out to the Wheatbelt, with 15 per cent of constituents falling outside of the metropolitan region. The shires of Beverley, Northam, Toodyay and York fall within the hybrid urban-rural seat where they once fell in O'Connor and Durack — typically seats held by the Liberal party. Parts of the cities of Armadale, Gosnells, Kalamunda and Swan, and the Shire of Mundaring also fall within the 9508sqkm area. Ms Cook said her first message to all her constituents was one of gratitude. 'Thank you for electing me as the first ever member for Bullwinkel,' she said. 'I appreciate it's a great honour and privilege to do this and I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running and getting stuck into it.' The vastness of the electorate has seen a wide range of issues affecting voters, from suburban families to primary producers and farmers. Ms Cook said the needs of her regional voters were familiar to her, having served as a councillor for the Shire of Mundaring for six years, as deputy shire president in 2023 and as a nurse in Northam. 'I appreciate the trust and support that's been given to me, and I know that it's probably a first time there's a Labor MP for those areas and I don't take that lightly,' she said. 'I've travelled around the electorate, especially the country towns . . . they're not new to me — this is an area I know reasonably well and I intend to advocate for the people there. 'I know the unique challenges of living in the regions and I want to deliver results for the farmers out there and their communities.' Labor's laws phasing out live sheep exports by sea have been a key issue facing rural communities — the plan has been heavily protested by farming groups, culminating in the Keep the Sheep campaign. Ms Cook said she wants to support Bullwinkel farmers in the wake of the live sheep export phase out. 'I want those farmers to farm sheep, I want those sheep to be processed in WA and I want those jobs to stay here,' she said. 'I'll be doing everything I can to make sure that the $1.39 million transition package is wisely spent and goes towards supporting the farmers of Bullwinkel. 'I've already asked my staff to set up a meeting with the transition advocate and I've been liaising with Jackie Jarvis, the State Minister for Agriculture, and Julie Collins' office, and I really want to hit the ground running on this issue and do what I can to help the farmers of the district to adapt. 'I spoke to a lot of people on pre-poll, including the Keep the Sheep people. I've been out to Toodyay and speaking to farmers there. I want to do my best as a MP to support farmers because they do have specific issues in their industry and I will prioritise them.' Ms Cook said she intends to deliver on all Labor's election commitments. These include a new urgent care clinic in Mundaring, a mental health centre in Kalamunda, and a $5m childcare centre in Mundaring. Other commitments include battery backup power for the 23 mobile phone towers within the Perth hills to assist in emergencies, various funding commitments across six volunteer fire brigades, and the joint commitment of the State and Federal governments with $355m for Midland Hospital. 'They're commitments I really want to see and — this is being supported by Anthony Albanese — is that we will spend, the first year particularly, delivering on those commitments,' Ms Cook said. On top of these, Ms Cook said she intends to advocate for quality healthcare and cost of living measures, as well as improvements to housing infrastructure, roads, bridges and telecommunications. 'I trust the councils and the shires in those regional areas, as well as the people we door knocked and have spoken to — they told me what they need and I will certainly go in to bat for them.'
ABC News
06-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Farmers asses what majority Labor government will mean for them
Labor's resounding federal election win will likely end the live export of sheep by sea, a move strongly resisted by the agriculture sector. And while agriculture was not front and centre of the election campaign, the Albanese government said a national food security plan, funding for farm safety and a strong record on trade would form a large part of its commitment to farmers. Protests, walkouts and fights Australia's peak farming body, National Farmers' Federation, has been at war with the Labor government over the National Farmers' Federation president David Jochinke said the agriculture sector, which was worth about $88 billion, still had major concerns about the returned government's policies. David Jochinke says farmers need to hold firm on agriculture policy. ( Supplied: VFF ) "There are going to be some absolute headwinds when we talk water, industrial relations, trade with regards to sheep live export and also productivity," he said. "We have to make sure we hold firm on agriculture policy and we are not going to back away from hard lines that we put in the sand around what we can and can't accept. " Ultimately there will be some policies we are not satisfied with and we will take appropriate action. " Keep the Sheep held rallies and truck protests in key seats ahead of the election. ( ABC News: Andrew O'Connor ) Live export will end Labor's election victory confirmed the end of the live sheep by sea trade, which was legislated in the last parliament with the phase out to occur in 2028. A $140 million compensation package to industry from the federal government was included in the process. Holly Ludeman has been coordinating the Keep the Sheep campaign. ( ABC News: Ruby Littler ) The win was a disappointment to the Keep the Sheep campaign — a Western Australia lobby group dedicated to overturning the decision which held rallies, truck protests, and tried to influence the election in key WA seats. Campaign coordinator Holly Ludeman said she spent the day inspecting animals and loading sheep on a live export vessel in Fremantle. She said she hoped to continue the fight. "We need to take some time to regroup," she said. " There is another election in a few years. This is a viable industry and that's what I'm going to keep fighting for. " Strong record on trade Ms Collins said her government's record on reopening access to key exports markets in China was a major success for agriculture. "We've got the most diversified agricultural trade now that we've ever had, 169 different markets now," she said. Julie Collins says the government has farmers' backs when it comes to trade. ( ABC News: Jacqueline Lynch ) A trade war with China which started in 2020 had locked out Australian wine, barley, hay, lobster and beef exports. But since the Albanese government came to power, Chinese tariffs on all the goods have been dropped. Trade was restored and increased with an announcement last week of "I think Australian farmers know that we've got their back when it comes to this," Ms Collins said. "We've been slowly restoring relationships right across the globe and we've been working incredibly hard to make sure that we get access to those markets that are so critical to producers." What else? During the election, Labor committed to spending $3.5 million on new national food security strategy Feeding Australia. Mr Jochinke supported the strategy. "Hopefully it shows us strengths and weaknesses throughout the supply chain including inputs on farm, production on farm and supply chain for consumers, and that will form the basis of trying to form better policy," he said. Labor also promised increased funding to key agriculture events such as Beef Australia at Rockhampton and Lambex — a sheep event to be hosted in Adelaide in 2026. Photo shows A young woman smiling and wearing a winning ribbon as she holds onto stud cattle. Gold, sheep, now beef cattle — Rockhampton has a varied history. But it's an event held every three years that has secured Rockhampton its spot as the beef capital of Australia. Labor said its planned investment in the sector would identify opportunities to improve supply chain resilience with a goal of minimising price volatility and costs at the check-out. Labor also pledged to spend $2.5 million to continue key farm safety programs after farm deaths The big remaining question for farmers was who would represent them and make major policy decisions inside the re-elected Albanese government. Ms Collins came into the job in July 2024. While it was not known if she would retain the role, Ms Collins said she wanted to stay. "It's a privilege, I've loved it, and I would love to continue doing it," she said. ABC Rural RoundUp newsletter Stories from farms and country towns across Australia, delivered each Friday. Your information is being handled in accordance with the Email address Subscribe
West Australian
05-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Liberal MP Melissa Price to represent Durack for fifth term despite increased Labor support nationwide
Despite Labor claiming a strong victory in the Federal election, regional voters, including those in Durack, have again turned their backs on the Government, with Liberal MP Melissa Price re-elected for a fifth term. As of Monday morning, Ms Price had 32.4 per cent of first-preference votes, which led to her leading 59.9 per cent to Labor candidate Karen Wheatland's 40.1 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. The result in Durack, which saw a swing towards the Liberal party of 5.3 per cent, went against the national trend, which was a 2.6 per cent swing towards Labor, according to the Australian Electoral Commission. In declaring her victory, Ms Price conceded it was bittersweet, saying the Liberals would have 'some soul-searching to do' in the wake of Labor's landslide national victory. 'We keep talking about this rebuild. I'm certainly hoping that I've been able to do a rebuild,' she said. 'I had a 15 per cent margin before the last election. Most of us lost 10 per cent. I ended up on a 4.7 per cent margin. Hopefully, I'm going to get back up to 15 per cent, so I'd like to say, I've rebuilt, but I've got a lot more to do. 'There's a long way to go and certainly the Liberal Party has to do some soul-searching and I want to be a key part of that … I'm up for the fight.' Ms Price's victory in Durack — Australia's biggest electorate at 1.4 million square kilometres — means she will sit for a fifth term in Parliament, equalling her predecessor Barry Haase. The result also means the electorate remains a Liberal seat, having been so since its inception. 'I think what that says about the Durack community, even though I'm in Opposition, I've still been their voice,' she said. 'The Liberal brand has stood up in Geraldton and that's actually the thing that I'm most proud of.' The results nationwide show Labor has been popular in the metropolitan areas while support for the Coalition appeared to be stronger in regional areas. The trend follows what occurred in the WA State election, where regional WA mostly voted for either the Liberals or the Nationals, including in Geraldton and the Mid West. Three out of the four regional WA electorates were won by the Liberals. Every polling booth in the Mid West — except Rangeway, which was a 50-50 split between Liberal and Labor — was in Ms Price's favour. Labor was leading in many of the booths in the Pilbara and Kimberley. Ms Price, who spent the majority of time at her election night function poring over incoming polling booth numbers on a whiteboard, vowed to continue to be a voice for her electorate. 'I know what I need to do and it is continuously hold the Labor Government to account and when they say they're going to do something when they don't is make a noise about that. 'Keep the Sheep is as a classic example of that — myself and (Liberal O'Connor MP) Rick Wilson, we were out there a long time before anybody was doing anything about Keep the Sheep, and I feel like we really pushed the farming community to stand up for themselves. 'I still have a voice for regional Western Australia and that's what I intend to do going forward.' Ms Price said it was 'heartbreaking' to see Opposition leader Peter Dutton lose his own seat, saying he had been a 'fabulous' leader. She said it was too early to speculate on party leadership as the outcomes of some seats were still in the balance. As chief opposition whip, Ms Price will co-ordinate the formal partyroom meeting to elect a new leader. In conceding defeat, Ms Wheatland said she and her team had given their all. 'Over the past months, I've travelled thousands of kilometres across this vast electorate — the biggest in Australia — often with little more than a hire car, a backpack, and a whole lot of heart,' she said. 'With minimal resources, a tiny (but mighty) team, and incredible volunteers, we built something real. I listened, I learned, and I saw just how much people care about their future. 'This wasn't just a campaign, it was a reminder of what matters: showing up, doing the work, and staying connected to community.' Nationals candidate Bailey Kempton also had a strong showing with 13.6 per cent of first-preference votes, and early on was neck-and-neck with Ms Wheatland. Mr Kempton said he was proud of the result, but promised to continue to support regional communities despite the loss. 'It's clear that the people of Durack are looking for a different approach, and the result here has been a rejection of Albanese and his relentless attacks on our regional communities,' he said. 'My heart is with our sheep farmers and those involved in the industry that is the beating heart of many regional communities, and who have been unfairly targeted by Albanese. 'I promise to continue standing up for those left behind by Labor.' Mr Kempton had a less than ideal preparation to Saturday's election, having to replace corflutes which were allegedly taken down by Labor volunteers on election eve. Photos obtained by the Geraldton Guardian show Liberal and Nationals signage stacked near bushes, where Mr Kempton alleged they were removed and replaced with Labor signage. He said he was disappointed with the situation in an otherwise amicable campaign amongst the parties. 'When you put at least five hours working in throughout the night to do a really good job of putting signage up and do the right thing; when you think you've achieved that, you're trying to wrap it up in the early hours of the morning and you realise that a big portion of your work has been undone, it's very disappointing to be honest,' Mr Kempton said. In Geraldton, the prepoll effect meant fewer people were queuing to vote on election day, with 14,169 placing their votes early. Despite the lower turnout and some rain, democracy sausages were flying off the barbecues, with a number of schools raising funds for school trips later this year. Allendale Primary School said multiple trips to Coles had to be taken to replenish stocks on the day as the Year 6 students raised funds for their Perth trip. Meanwhile, Wandina Primary School students raised funds for their annual Coral Bay trip.
ABC News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Three-way contest in Bullwinkel heats up between Liberals, Labor and Nationals
It's the only new federal seat in the country this election – and it's anyone's guess who will win the semi-rural seat of Bullwinkel in WA, as each of its high-profile candidates struggle to resonate across the seat's vastly different demographics. WA's 16th seat covers a whopping 9,508 square kilometres, from the outskirts of Perth to the outer edge of the Wheatbelt region, where Perth's farming fringe collides with the metropolitan area. A notionally held Labor seat on a margin of 3.3 per cent, Bullwinkel is considered up for grabs, as Labor's nurse and local councillor Trish Cook, former WA Nationals leader Mia Davies and Liberal journalist-turned Army public affairs officer Matt Moran battle it out. But given the seat's diverse mash-up, there's an even bigger list of issues for candidates to cover — and the clock is ticking to win them over. The rural Wheatbelt Picturesque landscapes, a line out the door for sausage rolls at the local bakery and murals of sheep on old brick buildings — this is the rural town of Beverley. Bullwinkel stretches from Perth's metro fringe in the west to country towns like Beverley in the east. ( ABC News: West Mateeussen ) In the Wheatbelt part of the seat, it's not hard to guess who has the upper hand of the three high-profile candidates. Almost every person the ABC spoke to indicated they were voting for Mia Davies and had the Keep the Sheep campaign front of mind. Sheep at a property in Beverly, in WA's Wheatbelt region, where the 'Keep the Sheep' movement has been campaigning hard. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) The movement took off last year in response to Beverley Tyre Service owner Daniel Henderson fears ending the live sheep export trade would be "an epic cost to the economy", and said it provides a lifeline for locals. Beverley Tyre Service owner Daniel Henderson wants the live sheep trade to stay. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) "If it gets ripped out upon us, then a lot of farmers which are my customers, my clients around here ... get money taken off them," he said. Beverley local Jenny Broun also indicated Keep the Sheep is influencing who she'll be voting for on May 3. Beverley local Jenny Broun wants farmers to be looked after. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) "We have a farm in the district and I do feel concerned that the major parties aren't looking after the farmers as they should, so obviously the Nationals will be my vote," she said. There's no doubt the movement has aided Davies' quest for Bullwinkel, but her decision to "Matt Moran's doing a fantastic job in Bullwinkel and I believe he'll be elected as the next member," Mr Dutton said on the campaign trail. Voters in the rural part also identified cost of living, access to healthcare and rural neglect as issues they're thinking about in the lead-up to the poll. "We've got great doctors but the hospitals are just hopeless," Beverley local Dalene Davies said. Beverley local Dalene Davies is unhappy with the state of the area's hospitals. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) "My friend and I drove over [to Northam Hospital at Easter] ... that's a 150-kilometre round trip." The Hills In the Perth Hills, a different kind of cost-of-living pressure is being felt among primary producers. Willow Springs Orchard owners Davin and Kate Harris are in their third season at their Bedfordale property, but are struggling with increased business costs. Bullwinkel encompasses numerous orchards and farmlands. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) "Since COVID, the cost of fertiliser, chemical input, electricity input, your packaging ... fuel," Mr Harris said. "Instead of being able to get ahead and save, we're pretty much spending everything we earn." Stay updated: Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on The pair have turned their orchard — which grows a variety of novelty fruits including persimmons, pomegranates and kiwis — into an agriculture-tourism mix with a coffee shop and fruit picking in a bid to drive more profit. Willow Springs Orchard owners Davin and Kate Harris. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) Mr Harris also worries about the housing crisis and how his children — aged 14, 10 and 9 — will be able to afford a property of their own. "I'm thinking $1 million is going to get them a unit in a suburb 30 kilometres out of Perth," he said. Perth suburbs In the part of the seat closest to the city, cost of living and housing pressures are at the fore for voters. The area includes suburbs like Forrestfield and High Wycombe — which held up for Labor at the recent state poll — and make up the most populous third. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 High Wycombe local Teriane Herald, 33, has cost-of-living concerns and plans to vote for Greens candidate Abbey Bishop. High Wycombe local Teriane Herald is struggling to pay her rent. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) "Before I could do it easily by myself as a single mum, rented by myself, worked full-time ... now there's no way I could do it by myself, the rent in six years has jumped by $250 per week easily, it's hard it's really hard," she said. Three-horse race Labor's working hard to win over areas closer to the city with flagship policies like The Nationals and Liberals are both leaning into Keep the Sheep, the Nationals promising to overturn the live export ban as a first priority if elected. The ABC asked the three candidates during pre-polling the same question — how do you reach voters across such a large and diverse seat? Labor candidate for Bullwinkel Trish Cook. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) "It is diverse, it's the three distinct regions but overwhelmingly people have the same issues: access to affordable healthcare, cost of living relief," Labor's Trish Cook said. Nationals candidate Mia Davies took a grassroots approach. Mia Davies is the Nationals candidate in Bullwinkel. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) "In a nutshell, we are people and community first, politics a long way back," she said. And Liberals candidate Matt Moran was focused on practicalities. Matt Moran is the Liberal candidate for Bullwinkel and a former journalist. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) "The number one issue is cost of living ... and that's why we're offering 25c off every litre of fuel, a tax cut of up to $1200, helping first home buyers get into houses," he said. Having trouble seeing this form? Try Loading
