Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Around the country, and particularly in Western Australia, the recent election campaign was hard-fought. We had an ambitious target. Five fantastic Labor candidates were vying for election in five target seats, and there were other candidates around the state. We'd had Hannah Beazley in Swan, Mellisa Teede in Canning, Melita Markey in Stirling, Kim Travers in Pearce and James Martin in Hasluck. All of them worked so hard, pounding the pavement for more than a year—and, in some cases, over 18 months.

I want to pass on to each of our candidates just this: there is nothing more that you could have done—no more doors to have knocked, no more calls to have been made. Your campaign teams were hardworking, and your commitment was unwavering. You all would've made fantastic members of this parliament, but this time—alas!—it was not to be. I commend you for all of your sacrifices made through the election campaign. You should be proud of what you did achieve—as, I'm sure, your families are.

I, too, applaud my Western Australian colleagues who have been returned to this parliament. To the member for Brand, my congratulations on her promotion to the shadow cabinet. Also, to the member for Fremantle, and Senators Louise Pratt, Pat Dodson and Glenn Sterle, congratulations on their appointments as shadow assistant ministers. Together, we'll work with our caucus colleagues Patrick Gorman, the member for Perth, and Anne Aly, the member for Cowan, to be strong advocates for Western Australia in this 46th Parliament.