Labor widely expected to retain power in today's state election

ABC NEWS (Australia)

West Australians will decide today who they want to lead the state for the next four years. WA Labor is hoping to keep as many seats as it can, while the Liberals haven't ruled out a win, despite pollsters predicting a comfortable Labor victory.

Transcript

00:00After 31 days of official campaigning, today is the day.

00:08West Australians will head to the polls to elect their 42nd parliament and the next Premier

00:13of Western Australia.

00:15Labor's enjoyed eight years of power and it's seeking its third term of government under

00:19current Premier Roger Cook.

00:21He's the self-described dad from Kwinana and it's also his first election as leader, despite

00:26being in the position since his predecessor Mark McGowan stood down in 2023.

00:32The Liberal leader Libby Metham, she faces an uphill battle after Labor's 2021 landslide

00:38victory.

00:39She's described this election as a David and Goliath battle, but she's remained focused

00:44and said she's focused on winning and that she's not out of the race just yet.

00:49Nationals opposition leader Shane Love is also confident that the Nationals can pick

00:52up some of those key seats that they're contesting and they say Labor doesn't have the McGowan

00:57factor and there will be a swing away from Labor.

01:00All major parties were out yesterday campaigning and making their final pitches to voters.

01:06Labor of course keeping with their key lines of keeping WA's economy strong, having a steady

01:11hand at the wheel in times of global uncertainty and their key slogan of Made in WA, making

01:17sure everything is made in WA.

01:19They've really kept to that focus and Roger Cook made those promises throughout this election

01:23campaign.

01:25The Liberals kept to their key focus and were again on the attack yesterday saying that

01:29people aren't well off after eight years of Labor, that we have a housing crisis, there's

01:34cost of living pressures and a broken health system and Libby Metham has really kept to

01:38those key points throughout her election campaign.

01:41We know that there has been a significant number of voters that have already gone to

01:46the polls in early voting but we do anticipate that centres will still be busy across the

01:50state as the rest of the state makes their vote in today's state election.

01:55Roger Cook and Libby Metham will be out in their own electorates this morning casting

01:59their votes and then they will move to some of those key seats that they are looking to

02:03maintain or get back.

02:05But we do know that this election really will set up for the next 2029 election.

02:11The main theme of this election is whether Labor will maintain its hold, its total control

02:16that it's enjoyed in both houses of parliament or whether the Liberals and Nationals will

02:20be able to claw back some of those seats and put them in a better position for the 2029

02:25WA state election.

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