Mark McGowan has hailed Anthony Albanese’s economic credentials as federal Labor looks to ride a wave of support in Western Australia to win government.
The popular WA premier on Sunday introduced Mr Albanese as “the next prime minister of Australia” at Labor’s election campaign launch in Perth.
Labor insiders remain confident the party can win three Liberal-held WA seats – Swan, Pearce and Hasluck – at the May 21 poll.
It would take a reversal of the party’s poor recent track record in a state that has long been a federal coalition stronghold.
Federal Labor has sought to capitalise on the strong popularity of Mr McGowan, whose government last year won re-election in one of the most one-sided results in the nation’s history.
The premier on Sunday said Mr Albanese understood the resources-rich state’s importance to Australia’s prosperity, highlighting his own government’s track record in managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said WA had produced two of the nation’s greatest citizens in wartime prime minister John Curtin and Bob Hawke, the latter having told him “he always identified as a Western Australian”.
“We know that it is Labor governments that best manage our economy and responsibly manage our finances,” Mr McGowan said.
Labor has sought to present Mr McGowan and his federal counterpart as close allies, playing down past visits to WA by Mr Albanese in which the pair did not publicly appear together.
It has reminded voters the Morrison government initially supported billionaire Clive Palmer’s challenge of WA’s hard border.
The federal government withdrew its intervention after facing backlash in WA, and the High Court ultimately ruled against Mr Palmer.
“Just imagine where we would be, where Western Australia would be … if the Liberals and Nationals, and their fellow traveller Clive Palmer had been successful in their efforts to undermine our hard work,” Mr McGowan said.
The premier said a decision by the Liberals to send preferences to Mr Palmer’s United Australia Party in the Senate – although not in WA – was “desperate” and an insult to West Australians.
He described Mr Albanese as resilient, authentic and one of the most experienced political figures in the nation.
“He is a fundamentally decent person, driven by empathy and a deep sense of civic responsibility,” Mr McGowan said.
“I have every confidence he will make a fine prime minister.”
