Portal:Australia/WA Election 2008

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Western Australian voters will head to polling booths around the state on September 6th, 2008 to vote for the government for the next four years.

The election was called unexpectedly by incumbent Premier Alan Carpenter on 7 August 2008.

Parties

Australian Labor Party, WA Branch

The Australian Labor Party's WA branch, led by Alan Carpenter, is the incumbent government and currently polling the best in two-party preferred surveys (51%/49%). The present government has been in power since 2001, however Alan Carpenter has only been Premier since 2006 when the former Premier Geoff Gallop resigned due to depression. Since then, the Labor government has been involved in several scandals, including:

Removal of three Cabinet ministers due to their dealings with Brian Burke
The future closure of Royal Perth Hospital
Carefree approach to the State Budget by spending $1 billion on a new football stadium in Subiaco while the health system is underfunded (according to The West Australian newspaper, a baby was born in a hospital toilet due to the absence of a spare bed)
Premier Alan Carpenter allegedly lifting the shirt of retiring Labor MP Jaye Radisich at a karaoke party

Policies

Give pensioners free public transport during weekday off-periods and on weekends
Extend the capacity of a hostel for the homeless
Build a women's domestic violence refuge in the southern suburbs
Fund the Salvation Army's work in Highgate
Increase police numbers by 500 over five years
Expand the police radio network
Upgrade or build 19 police stations
To be continued

WA Liberal Party

The WA Liberal Party is currently led by Colin Barnett after leadership issues following Barnett's announcement of an intention to leave politics after losing to Geoff Gallop at the 2005 election. Current polling suggests that the Liberals will narrowly lose the upcoming election based on a two-party preferred survey result of 51% to 49%. The former leader Troy Buswell, himself the subject of a scandal, resigned on 4 August 2008, prompting Alan Carpenter to call an early election three days later.