Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Western Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister's attacks on Western Australia must stop. We need a friend, not a frenemy, in Canberra. They have attacked Mark McGowan. They said that New South Wales and Gladys Berejiklian were the gold standard. They backed Clive Palmer, and those opposite said nothing as they backed Clive Palmer, unless they were busy loudly cheering. They refused to build dedicated quarantine facilities, until they decided to build them on poisoned land on Bullsbrook. Then the Prime Minister went further. He called us cave people, and the Deputy Prime Minister said that Western Australia was like North Korea. No wonder my constituents call him the Prime Minister for New South Wales. Now even our GST is at risk, being taken from Western Australia and handed back. The New South Wales Treasurer has said he wants to steal money from Western Australia.

Only Labor will stand up for Western Australia. An Albanese Labor government will be the partner that Western Australia needs here in Canberra. Federal Labor will work with Mark McGowan, not spend every day undermining and attacking him and his government. We'll work to create new jobs, to protect Medicare and to make sure we buy local and contract local, backing our manufacturing sector and backing Western Australian manufacturing. We'll work together to prevent climate change. Only Labor will stand up for Western Australia.