7 days ago
Labor's 'lucky escape' in Greater Western Sydney a second chance for government
On a bustling day in south-west Sydney, the smoky scent of a charcoal barbecue wafts through the air, as meat skewers sizzle outside a Middle Eastern restaurant.
Nearby, groups of locals gather in the shade, locked in lively battles of dominoes and chess.
Liverpool healthcare worker Sarwan Al Mubarki enjoys wandering these streets, taking in the familiar sights that make his multicultural neighbourhood a community.
The 29-year-old has lived in this area since the age of four, when his family arrived in Australia as asylum seekers from Iraq.
"It was quite an ordeal for my parents to make a decision about my future and theirs, to try to get me somewhere I'd have safety and opportunity," he said.
But he's also concerned many who share his postcode have not had the same opportunities he's had.
Growing up, he attended three different schools in the area — one in the public system and two religious colleges.
That's when he first noticed what he describes as "pockets of disadvantage" in parts of Western Sydney.
"There was under-resourcing in the public school, there was graffiti — kids were generally kind of fed the narrative you would have a harder time, you were disadvantaged," he said.
He fears rapid population growth in the outer suburbs is adding to the inequality by intensifying the pressure on health services, schools and infrastructure.
Australian National University demographer Liz Allen described it as the "postcode lottery" — and argued people in the outer suburbs were often the ones missing out.
"In newly built areas on the fringes of our cities, there is a lack of significant infrastructure," Dr Allen said.
"That means families are not being supported adequately, there aren't the medical services, there aren't the hospitals, there aren't the schools."
And she believes the disadvantage could worsen as the rising cost of living drives more families to the outer suburbs.
Greater Western Sydney was often front and centre during the recent federal election campaign — as Peter Dutton targeted mortgage-belt voters in traditional Labor heartland, where support for the ALP had been slipping for years.
Despite his efforts, the Liberals failed to pick up any new seats in the region — and even suffered a surprise loss in Banks.
Labor now holds 11 of the 14 seats in Western Sydney, but failed to oust independent Dai Le from the seat of Fowler.
Mr Al Mubarki, who lives in the electorate, said many people in the region felt ignored by the major parties.
Despite its landslide victory across Australia — some political analysts say the ALP should view its success in Western Sydney as a "lucky escape".
Paul Smith, YouGov's Director of Public Data, said polling showed voters in the region turned their backs on the Coalition just weeks ahead of the election, after the Opposition revealed plans to force more workers back to the office.
"What we know from all the data — fundamentally — people chose to reject Peter Dutton and the Coalition because their policies were seen to be anti-working class people," he said.
"Labor should view the result as a second chance to win working class voters, rather than an endorsement of the government as a whole."
The federal government has promised billions of dollars to improve infrastructure, healthcare and education, which could address some of these issues in the outer suburbs.
Education Minister Jason Clare said an extra $16.5 billion will be pumped into public schools across the country, under agreements struck with the states and territories.
"For too long public schools in our community and across the country have been underfunded, but that is now changing because of these agreements," he said in a statement to the ABC.
