Joe Spagnolo: Game on ahead of Federal election 2025 as Canberra fights for love from WA voters

Ah, the sweet smell of desperation. I don’t know about you, dear reader, but I’m absolutely loving seeing the sweat pour from the brow of Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton as they try to win over the wild, wild, west. “My judgment is that both the Prime Minister and I will be sweating on the results coming in from WA on election night,” Dutton said during a recent visit to Perth. Yes, Peter, I hope you and Albo are both sweating come election night, because I clearly remember when neither Federal Labor or the Coalition gave a fig about WA because elections were won and lost in the east. A bit harsh? Remember how former WA treasurer Eric Ripper in 2007 first started pleading WA’s case for a better GST deal? I do. I remember Eric looking a bit grey as we discussed the GST disgrace in his Dumas House office. WA’s cash was building roads and rail lines in the Eastern States and it took 12 long years, and five prime ministers, for the law to be finally changed so that WA wasn’t dudded on the billions of dollars in GST revenues it was rightfully entitled to. It was only WA becoming a major player in deciding who lives in The Lodge that convinced former PM Scott Morrison to change the rules in 2019 to deliver a GST payment of no less than 70 cents for every dollar WA sent to Canberra. Fast forward to 2024 and Albanese and Dutton are doing a Jeff Fenech, proudly telling West Australians “I love youse all”. Just in case you haven’t noticed, Albanese and Dutton are busting a gut to visit WA. Dutton just spent five days here on a tour designed to make him more palatable to WA voters. Albo followed up with another lightning visit and is back in a few weeks with his entire Cabinet. But beyond keeping count on who is visiting us the most, what do we know so far about Albo’s and Dutton’s respective plans to win over WA? So far, the headline acts have been: New Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt reckons the new laws will be used in WA if “it is in the public interest”. And to think: unless Albo goes early, there are still nine months to go before the next Federal poll. What else will be promised for WA in this pre-election year? You know what they say, Peter and Anthony. To get the love, you have to give the love. Now, what about making Perth the official capital of Australia? Surely that’s a fair price for WA votes during this Federal election campaign? Just give it some thought and tell us what you think of the idea.