ID :
15304
Fri, 08/08/2008 - 11:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/15304
The shortlink copeid
WA voters go to polls on September 6
APP- West Australian Premier Alan Carpenter called a snap election but sought to dampen speculation that the move was aimed at capitalising on opposition disarray.
Mr Carpenter called the September 6 election the day after the Liberal party had reinstated Colin Barnett as its fourth leader since the 2005 election.
The election was not due until next February but the government had been widely expected to go to the polls before the end of the year.
However, the election had not been expected before October, which would have provided adequate time for the government to clear its decks and give voters time to put the AFL football finals behind them.
Instead, the first two weeks of the campaign will clash with the Olympics and polling day is on the first Saturday of the AFL preliminary finals.
Mr Barnett accused Mr Carpenter of trying to hide behind two weeks of Olympic coverage.
Mr Carpenter, who will face voters for the first time as Labor leader since replacing Geoff Gallop in 2006, denied the move was a cynical attempt to wrong-foot the opposition.
He said the need for certainty in WA politics had overwhelmed all other considerations in deciding an election date.
He said there was no doubt the leadership change had helped fuel speculation that the government was taking advantage of opposition unpreparedness.
"I think that has helped the speculation, there's no doubt about that, that has helped the uncertainty and it has led to some of the cynicism," he told reporters.
"But it's time to put an end to all that, the leadership issue of the Liberal party has been settled and now there is a clear choice."
He said every major government announcement in recent weeks had been reported in the context of an early election, and it was time to end the speculation.
Mr Barnett said the opposition was ready for an election.
"If the Labor party thinks we weren't ready, they're in for a big shock from tomorrow morning onwards," he told reporters.
"In calling the election today Alan Carpenter has panicked.
"There is absolutely no justification at all for calling an election six months early."
He said Mr Carpenter was "running away from the parliamentary scrutiny" of Corruption and Crime Commission investigations into public servants and MPs.
Mr Barnett said it was an election about "integrity and honesty" following the removal of five Labor ministers for misbehaviour since the last election.
"He's running away from the investigations of the CCC and most importantly he's running away from his responsibilities as premier," Mr Barnett said.
Mr Barnett said he would be campaigning on law and order, education, health, and honesty and integrity in government.
Asked whether he was still considering a Kimberley-Perth canal as part of the opposition election platform, Mr Barnett said he would not hide from discussing water security, which was the most important issue facing Australia this century.
He said he would be announcing his shadow cabinet tomorrow, with a frontbench role for dumped leader Troy Buswell, who he replaced.
Asked about the disunity in the Liberal party since the last election, Mr Barnett said he had confidence in the calibre of his team.
He said former Liberal turned independent Liz Constable had agreed to join with the opposition in fighting the government.
Mr Carpenter later said he was surprised Mr Barnett had raised the issues of the CCC inquiry, as the government had acted on any misbehaviour in its ranks while the Liberals had sat on their hands.
He pitched the coming state election as a choice between his strong leadership and the opposition "chaos and disunity".
Labor holds 30 seats in the 57 seat Legislative Assembly, and in the upper house the balance of power is held by the Greens and independents.
A swing of about four per cent is needed to unseat the government under a redistribution which for the first time in WA, increases the number of seats in Perth and provides for a one vote-one value system.
Mr Carpenter called the September 6 election the day after the Liberal party had reinstated Colin Barnett as its fourth leader since the 2005 election.
The election was not due until next February but the government had been widely expected to go to the polls before the end of the year.
However, the election had not been expected before October, which would have provided adequate time for the government to clear its decks and give voters time to put the AFL football finals behind them.
Instead, the first two weeks of the campaign will clash with the Olympics and polling day is on the first Saturday of the AFL preliminary finals.
Mr Barnett accused Mr Carpenter of trying to hide behind two weeks of Olympic coverage.
Mr Carpenter, who will face voters for the first time as Labor leader since replacing Geoff Gallop in 2006, denied the move was a cynical attempt to wrong-foot the opposition.
He said the need for certainty in WA politics had overwhelmed all other considerations in deciding an election date.
He said there was no doubt the leadership change had helped fuel speculation that the government was taking advantage of opposition unpreparedness.
"I think that has helped the speculation, there's no doubt about that, that has helped the uncertainty and it has led to some of the cynicism," he told reporters.
"But it's time to put an end to all that, the leadership issue of the Liberal party has been settled and now there is a clear choice."
He said every major government announcement in recent weeks had been reported in the context of an early election, and it was time to end the speculation.
Mr Barnett said the opposition was ready for an election.
"If the Labor party thinks we weren't ready, they're in for a big shock from tomorrow morning onwards," he told reporters.
"In calling the election today Alan Carpenter has panicked.
"There is absolutely no justification at all for calling an election six months early."
He said Mr Carpenter was "running away from the parliamentary scrutiny" of Corruption and Crime Commission investigations into public servants and MPs.
Mr Barnett said it was an election about "integrity and honesty" following the removal of five Labor ministers for misbehaviour since the last election.
"He's running away from the investigations of the CCC and most importantly he's running away from his responsibilities as premier," Mr Barnett said.
Mr Barnett said he would be campaigning on law and order, education, health, and honesty and integrity in government.
Asked whether he was still considering a Kimberley-Perth canal as part of the opposition election platform, Mr Barnett said he would not hide from discussing water security, which was the most important issue facing Australia this century.
He said he would be announcing his shadow cabinet tomorrow, with a frontbench role for dumped leader Troy Buswell, who he replaced.
Asked about the disunity in the Liberal party since the last election, Mr Barnett said he had confidence in the calibre of his team.
He said former Liberal turned independent Liz Constable had agreed to join with the opposition in fighting the government.
Mr Carpenter later said he was surprised Mr Barnett had raised the issues of the CCC inquiry, as the government had acted on any misbehaviour in its ranks while the Liberals had sat on their hands.
He pitched the coming state election as a choice between his strong leadership and the opposition "chaos and disunity".
Labor holds 30 seats in the 57 seat Legislative Assembly, and in the upper house the balance of power is held by the Greens and independents.
A swing of about four per cent is needed to unseat the government under a redistribution which for the first time in WA, increases the number of seats in Perth and provides for a one vote-one value system.
