WANNEROO Mayor Tracey Roberts says she is not a member of the Labor party despite her picture appearing in a campaign poster with Premier Mark McGowan and Butler MLA John Quigley.
WA Labor said Mrs Roberts was aware she appeared in a campaign sign near the Marmion Ave and Yanchep Beach Rd roundabout.
Mrs Roberts said she made aware of the poster at the February 16 council meeting.
“It was an old photograph from the Connect Wanneroo advocacy campaign taken a number of years ago and used widely,’’ she said.
In relation to a rumour that she could replace John Quigley as the member for Butler if he stood down during the next term Mrs Roberts said this was not something she, Mr Quigley and WA Labor had discussed.
In his re-election bid Mr Quigley said he had campaigned strongly for reduced public transport costs for residents and successfully advocated for a $10 million commitment to build a pool in Alkimos.
This week Yanchep News Online asked the City of Wanneroo what year the Alkimos aquatic and recreation centre would open.
City of Wanneroo Mayor Tracey Roberts said a final concept for the project would be the subject of further community consultation later this year.
“Following this, the detailed design process for the project can commence and timelines can be set,’’ she said.
Funding to build the Alkimos aquatic and recreation centre is listed in the city’s long term financial plan including for 2024-25.
Mr Quigley said he also successfully advocated for $8m for a health centre in Yanchep and major roadworks.
He said the McGowan Labor Government had already committed to the Mitchell Fwy extension to Romeo Rd for completion in 2022 – in March 2019 the McGowan Government said it would commit $107.5m for the project.
The project together with the recent $23m dualling of Marmion Ave from Butler to Yanchep would mean significantly shorter travel times for residents.
“We are also delivering the Metronet Yanchep rail extension with three new stations in Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep by 2022,’’ he said.
In the March 2017 election on a two-party preferred basis (after full distribution of preferences) Mr Quigley was returned with 69.5 per cent of the vote while Liberal candidate Linda Aitken received 30.5 per cent so he is in a formidable position.
Opposition leader Zak Kirkup and former WA Liberal party president Barry Court at Linda Aitken’s campaign launch in Yanchep. Picture: Anita McInnesWhen Mrs Aitken, who is also a City of Wanneroo councillor, launched her campaign in Yanchep Opposition leader Zak Kirkup and deputy leader Libby Mettam were in attendance.
As part of a $38m plan to grow and diversify key fishing markets the Opposition promised to build a $15m state-of-the-art aquaculture research centre in Two Rocks if the Liberals won the election.
Mrs Aitken said her plan for Butler included ensuring there were enough medical facilities in the expanding northern suburbs, bringing local police stations back up to full force, creating local jobs and apprenticeships, protecting the environment with greener community grants for local environmental groups and lowering the cost of living.
In the weeks since Mrs Aitken’s campaign launch Mr Kirkup has conceded the Liberals cannot win the March 13 election while polling has suggested they may also lose some of the 13 seats they hold.
On March 3 during a visit to the Wanneroo electorate – where City of Wanneroo councillor Paul Miles is the Liberal candidate – Mr Kirkup said the WA Liberals were fighting for horticulturalists and jobs, unveiling a $85m expansion plan for the North Wanneroo horticulture precinct with a new 20GL water treatment facility for irrigation.
Recently Mr Kirkup has put a lot of focus on warning Western Australians that giving the McGowan Government a majority in both houses of Parliament would allow legislation to be passed unopposed.
Today WA Labor campaign spokeswoman Rita Saffioti said the Liberals had failed to submit a single policy to Treasury for independent costing and continued to refuse to release their full costings – three days out from the election and with more than a quarter of voting already done.
- On August 12 WA Labor confirmed Mrs Roberts’ preselection for the seat of Pearce.
