Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise to speak on behalf of the people of Canning—my constituents, the families, the workers and the small business owners who embody the very best of our nation. The people living in my patch are hardworking, self-reliant and deeply community minded. They don't ask much from government—just a fair go, respect and the freedom to get on with their lives. Our community is resilient, ambitious and proud. We stand together in tough times and we celebrate each other's success. That's the spirit of Canning, which is the Peel region, for those of you who don't live in WA. I'm very proud to represent them in this place.

This year I was honoured to be re-elected as the member for Canning after a redistribution that reduced our margin to just 1.2 per cent. I was grateful that my constituents once again placed their trust in me. We achieved a strong result with a 5.4 per cent swing and a margin of over 13,000 votes. I'm deeply grateful for the support shown by our community and the way they've sent me back to Canberra to be their voice here in this chamber. Our result was a testament to the strength and unity of our local community and to the grassroots campaign we ran, focused on issues that affect real people. We didn't campaign in the abstract; we campaigned very much in concrete terms.

While national security concerns dominated headlines, my campaign was firmly local. Every day, I met with residents, listened to their concerns and committed to fighting for the things that matter most to them. Today, I bring their voices into this chamber. My team and I campaigned on the issues that mattered to them: cost of living, local infrastructure and community safety. We campaigned on health and, for nearly a decade, the Western Australian government has promised a $152 million upgrade to the Peel Health Campus. When they put that figure to the public in 2021—$152 million—that was before we saw inflation over the last four years. That figure is now about $180 million, and they haven't increased the funding in real terms, so we've actually taken a $30 million cut to the upgrade.

That promise has been repeated in press releases, budget papers and media statements, but the reality on the ground has not changed. One year after the hospital was handed back into public hands, with great fanfare from Labor, there has still been no redevelopment, no new facilities and no relief for the families, children and seniors in my community. Ambulance ramping is at record highs, doctors and nurses are exhausted, and clinicians warn the system is in a death spiral.

This is not just incompetence; this is actually really dangerous. People are left waiting in emergency. People are even sent away. I have countless stories from seniors, particularly, who are really struggling. For seniors who need to see a geriatrician, they have to wait up to 18 months. Some, by the time they get to see a geriatrician, have experienced further decline—whether physical or cognitive—and some have even passed on. So we have a very acute health crisis in my electorate.

Labor's own member for Mandurah has admitted the funding isn't enough, yet the Premier continues to sit on a multibillion-dollar surplus while our hospital bursts at the seams. We all know the WA budget is doing better than most other jurisdictions, and, yet, we're not seeing the investment in our health system that we need.

Locals are angry. They've shared their shocking experiences at Peel Health Campus. They're angry and they have every right to be. I'm calling it as I see it: this is a betrayal of my community. I'll keep fighting until the Peel Health Campus is fixed. No more spin. No more empty promises. Just action—because our community deserves better.

And it's not just in health. Right across the Peel region, we are being let down on the infrastructure that underpins our daily lives. We need infrastructure that keeps pace with growth, including roads, public transport and community facilities. People travelling to and from Perth everyday on the Kwinana Freeway experience a massive opportunity cost—a journey that used to take about 70 minutes can now take up to two hours at a time. That opportunity cost is time with family, time exercising, time doing admin and time doing other important things that happen in our daily lives.

Labor for a decade have promised a train station at Karnup, and for a decade now they've failed to deliver it. Another train station would help a lot of my constituents and would provide another alternative form of transport to and from the city every day, but we've got no funding, no timeline and no commitment. The land on which the train station will be built sits vacant while our growing suburbs of Karnup, Singleton, Golden Bay and Secret Harbour, suburbs recently added to my electorate as part of the redistribution, are ignored. They're taken for granted by Labor. There was not even a mention in the latest state budget. It's pretty shameful, and a lot of people agree. These are vibrant, fast-growing areas, and they deserve the same level of infrastructure investment as the rest of the region.

I'll also note that these suburbs are part of the AUKUS catchment, so we have a growing presence of Royal Australian Navy families, defence families and people involved in the future AUKUS industrial base. I should also add that we're going to see Americans moving into my electorate over the next couple of years as well. Admiral Caudle, who's a senior US naval officer, said there would be from 3,000 to 9,000 Americans moving in over the next five years or so. Those are a lot of people to integrate into our community. They're very welcome to come. I'm sure they'll bring a lot of opportunity as well. There are a lot of spouses in the US military who are teachers and nurses, and we have shortages in both fields. I hope this government is working on ensuring that they can be employed in our communities when they arrive. I also want to note as well that my electorate will take about 25 per cent of the new Defence housing which have been slated to support AUKUS. So we need more investment from the federal government and the state government as well, but instead we're being left behind.

The Karnup train station is a key data point for that. Labor's failure to act is not just a broken promise; it's a clear message that these communities aren't a priority. I've raised this time and time again, and I've launched a petition to hold the Cook Labor government to account. A station at Karnup isn't a luxury; it's a necessity. People don't expect us to make fanfare when we deliver these things; they just expect government to do them. They pay taxes, and they expect government to do these projects and do them on time. A train station would ease pressure on nearby stations, reduce congestion and give families the access they deserve. Labor wants us to forget about it, but I won't. That's why I'm speaking about it, and I'm more than happy to raise state issues as well because most constituents just want a better future for their families and a fair go. Whether it's at the local, state or federal level, I'll keep fighting for my people.

I first heard about the need for a local train station while I was doorknocking back in 2016. Locals were frustrated, ignored by their Labor MPs and fed up with broken promises. Despite fierce resistance from WA Labor, we stood firm and we delivered the Lakelands train station. Let's not forget that Labor ministers publicly dismissed the project. Rita Saffioti called it embarrassing. Paul Papalia said it was a station no one needed, and David Templeman sat at the cabinet table for years without delivering a cent for the Lakelands train station. Yet, when the station finally opened in June 2023, closing a 23-kilometre gap in the Mandurah rail line, they were very fast to show up for photo opportunities. That station wasn't delivered by Labor; it was delivered by the people of Lakelands who refused to give up. I'm proud to have stood shoulder to shoulder with them, and together we got it done. I'll do the same for those people living in and around Karnup.

That same determination for a fair go on infrastructure is driving our campaign to reinstate the Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation. This is another critical infrastructure project that WA Labor abandoned, despite its clear benefits to safety, heritage and quality of life. Hundreds of trucks thunder through the heart of Pinjarra. Pinjarra is a beautiful, old historic town right in the centre of the Peel region. It was settled around the 1830s, and every day we have these big trucks carrying huge loads, including jarrah logs, critical minerals that have been mined and massive mining equipment which often needs an escort at the front and rear. These trucks pass through our little town, and people are getting tired of it. We've invested money to make that a tourist town, and these big trucks make it very difficult for locals. A deviation would divert heavy vehicles away from the town centre. It would protect local families, businesses and the character of our community, which is sitting there on the Murray River—a very beautiful part of the world. Labor's decision to cut money for the deviation is short sighted and reckless. We're not backing down. Just like we did with the Lakelands train station, we'll keep fighting until Pinjarra gets the infrastructure it needs.

This isn't the only way that Labor is letting down regional and outer metropolitan communities. Labor's cost-of-living crisis has hit outer metro areas and regional Australia hardest. Fuel costs are up. Many people drive. There's limited public transport, so everyone has petrol or diesel costs in their family budget. Health premiums are up. There's a real lack of confidence in the public health sector run by Labor. People are paying health premiums, but they're creeping up. Mortgage and rental costs are up. We have a housing demand crisis. I've seen people at my local beach get out of their car in the morning after sleeping in the car, take a shower at the beach showers and then go off to work. This is Australia in 2025. We have an abundance of geography here, but somehow we have this housing shortage. It's a housing demand crisis, and I think this is because Labor's uncontrolled immigration has caused a lot of pressure on the housing sector. From the year 2000 to 2019, the average net overseas migration figure was 190,000 people. In the last two years, Labor has brought in about half a million people, and we wonder why we're struggling for housing. We shouldn't have people living in their cars. We shouldn't have kids living in caravan parks. We shouldn't have kids living in tents in the backyards of friends. It's shameful, and it's always in the outer metropolitan and regional areas where people do it tough, are hurt the worst.

Now Labor has introduced a new tax on the vehicles Australians rely on most. The diesel Prados, Rangers, LandCruisers, MU-Xs and D-MAXs are the workhorses of outer metropolitan areas and regional Australia. If you come down to the school where my kids go every morning, you'll see mums and dads dropping their kids off in four-wheel drives and utes, because their partner is a tradie or they work on the mines or they just like to go four-wheel driving. That's why they're living in the regions. Labor's so-called fuel efficiency standard is nothing more than a car and ute tax. It's driving up the cost of popular vehicles like the Ford Ranger, the Toyota HiLux and the Mitsubishi Outlander—vehicles that are essential for people living in my community.

I mentioned the metaphor of the workhorse of our local economy. It's true. My community, more than a hundred years ago, relied on horses for the local economy. We provided a good number of light horsemen that fought in the First World War. These vehicles do the same job today. These are the vehicles that tow the boats, the floats and their caravans. Tradies, farmers and families shouldn't be punished for driving the vehicles they need. Labor's fuel efficiency standard is driving up costs and limiting choice, hurting the very people who keep our economy moving. We have very, very few electric vehicle charging stations, but we've got a lot of people paying a fuel excise. It's not just bad policy; it's an attack on our way of life.

While they're taxing our utes, Labor are also pushing ahead with a massive offshore windfarm off my southern coast—all the way down the coast to Dunsborough, a beautiful stretch of the WA coastline. They're doing this without proper consultation and against the wishes of my community. The proposed zone spans thousands of square kilometres of ocean just 26 kilometres from our coastline and not far south of the proposed AUKUS submarine base. This project threatens our local environment, threatens tourism and threatens our recreational activities. It risks damaging marine life, ocean floors and bird habitats. We're very proud of our whales in WA. We're proud of our dolphins. These are the sorts of creatures that live in our oceans which will be affected by these wind farms. It will impose enormous costs on Australian families and business, because, let's be frank, wind power only works when the wind is blowing. There is incredibly expensive transmission infrastructure which needs to be built to connect these solar and wind farms that Labor are putting all over our country.

I think one thing that is overlooked is that these wind turbines and a lot of these solar panels, if not all, are manufactured overseas, often in China, using our fossil fuels, whether it be coal or gas, that we export. It's a reality that this country exports 25 per cent of the world's coal and 20 per cent of the world's liquefied natural gas. It's a huge source of revenue. It underwrites the NDIS, it underwrites health and it underwrites our welfare system. So, whilst Australians are being forced to pay more for their energy needs, countries who we export to are getting their energy much cheaper, which makes them more competitive in the long term.

Under this government, we're seeing local communities and their wishes overridden and we're seeing inefficient, expensive and environmentally-damaging solar and wind farms pushed on local communities. We're outsourcing emissions. This is a government that does a lot of carbon leakage. They claim they're green, but they do a lot of carbon leakage. They're increasing our dependence on foreign supply chains. We're not building these wind turbines. We're not making the solar panels. We're importing them from China. So, effectively, we're dismantling our comparative advantage in energy, which comes from our coal and our gas. We could have nuclear power because we've got a lot of uranium. We're dismantling that comparative advantage and we're making ourselves dependent on the importation of power made overseas. I think it's unfair and unsustainable.

Another issue is the unbearable odour affecting residents in the northern suburbs of my electorate. For those here it might sound like a minor inconvenience, trivial even. But for those living with it, this smell emanating from waste and compost facilities is making homes unlivable and outdoor spaces unusable, particularly in summer when temperatures hit 35-plus and you get a roaring easterly out to the coast. These smells are dumped on a lot of our coastal community living in the north of the electorate. Kids can't play outside, and people can't open their windows in the middle of summer. In fact, when I was doorknocking in Singleton, an elderly couple came to the door. Everyone else in the street was talking about the stink, and they said, 'We can't even turn our air conditioning on, because it smells like blood and bone in our living room if we do.' This is a serious disruption to their lives, their health and their homes. I've held community meetings, I've called for action from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and I've invited the Minister for the Environment to see the impact firsthand. This is just one of the many challenges facing our community. But, despite this, my constituents remain hopeful. They're proud of their community and they are determined to build a better future.

I want to acknowledge the people who came up to me on the street to have a chat. They might have given me a word of encouragement. Some of my favourite moments are, in fact, shopping at Coles in Halls Head, doing constituent work in the aisles. I remember the seniors I spoke to recently, who were trying to work out if they could afford eggs for the week. It's a great community, but rarely do I hear people whinge. They've always got constructive feedback or encouragement, and I thank them for that.

I'm proud to be a leader in my community and I don't take that responsibility lightly. Leadership is about service. That's what I learnt over the lake there at the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Royal Military College, Duntroon. The motto for ADFA is To Lead, To Excel, and at Duntroon it's Learning Promotes Strength. Leadership in those institutions was always about service, and it's a privilege to continue doing that in public office in this parliament. It's about listening, learning and standing firm in the face of adversity. It's about representing the values of the people who sent us here: hard work, honesty and a deep commitment to our country.

Our schools are filled with bright, curious and capable young Australians. They're ready to take on the world, but they need a future that they can believe in and one that they want to step into—a future built not on debt and decline but on opportunity, stability, cohesion as a country and national pride. That future begins with a commitment to the people we serve, not just in election years but every single day. It's not easy. We're all imperfect people. There is not a single perfect person on this earth, and, particularly in politics, our imperfections can sometimes be magnified. That's just what comes with public office. But nonetheless, we need to fight for our constituents, for fairness, for prosperity and for the dignity of every single Australian. That's what leadership demands. It's about standing firm when it counts, speaking up when others stay silent and never forgetting who you represent.

Before I conclude I want to thank my campaign team, who worked tirelessly through the rain and on hot days because they believe in our community and our cause. I want to thank our volunteers who gave their time, energy and heart to our campaign. It's always encouraging when you meet new people who are willing to put on a T-shirt and stand with you—you'd know this, Deputy Speaker Sharkie—because they believe in what you stand for. So I want to thank all those people.

I also want to thank my family—my wife, Ruth, and our children—for their support and sacrifice. Next month, I'll have been 10 years in the parliament. My wife has spent the last 10 years having kids and raising kids, often without me present, and she does it because she believes in what I do in this place. So I want to acknowledge my wife, Ruth, for her love and her support. I also acknowledge my kids. My three-year-old said to me on Friday, 'Why don't you live with us anymore, Dad?' which was hard to hear. But my 10-year-old boy and my eight-year-old daughter explained that I go to parliament and I do it for a good reason, and I hope that one day she will understand why I've taken this job on.

I'll leave it there. Thank you very much.

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