Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, so I thank all the South Ward Labor councillors of the City of Wanneroo for basically imitating my initiatives. I speak of how they tried to pick up my initiative on the fight to secure funding for the complete lighting of the Kingsway netball complex and also my support for getting a crossing guard on Hartman Drive for school students who have to cross that very busy road to get to school each day.

On the lighting of the netball complex, there was no action for years by any of these South Ward councillors, yet weeks after I launched my campaign for funding, suddenly a motion was put forward by an ex-Labor state candidate and current councillor, who is also seeking re-election and also running for mayor, to start asking the state government for the money. That motion was also put forward after I had already written to the state Minister for Sport and Recreation, the Hon. Mia Davies, about the project and after she had already even been to the complex to look at the needs. I thank her for her strong interest in the project.

Similarly, there was silence from those Labor councillors on the need for a crossing guard on Hartman Drive until I contacted the police minister's staff in August and sent the Hon. Liza Harvey MLA a letter on this important issue on 1 September. That letter was sent to a primary school where parents were concerned about this long-term issue, and then another motion was suddenly put forward by these Labor councillors. One of these Labor operatives then said on Facebook that they had been working on this for months and that they were pleased to have delivered for the local community.

There are two problems with this deception. Firstly, the school that will put the application in has never been contacted by these councillors. The second, more important, problem is that delivery has occurred when there is a crossing guard in place, not when councillors finally get involved and tick off on a motion. If they were to believe these Labor councillors, when students from Madeley approached the very busy Hartman Drive this morning in order to cross it and go to school, there would have been a crossing there. But they should not believe these people, and the deception will be plain to see. These councillors in the city have not delivered anything. The need remains. I promise that I will pursue these issues until the netball courts are lit and the students who cross Hartman Drive have a safer way to do so.

The trouble with these Labor councillors is that they spend too much time using their positions to advance, on social media, anti-state and anti-federal government agendas as directed by Labor Party headquarters. Now, with the local government elections just a month away, they are scrambling to justify their case for re-election. I look at their self-promotional posts, and how sad it is that they have to end up liking their own posts to get, in some cases, a single like. If there is more than one like, you look at the names and see that they are just the other Labor south ward councillors. I guess it just goes to show that, at the community level, people are sick of these people pushing their loaded political agendas and want councillors who concentrate on the needs of the community and do not push their political agenda. I urge the people of the south ward to support candidates who commit to the local community and who commit to not getting involved in pushing party lines or abusing the trust of the people.