Latest News - Last 30 Days

Year 11 and 12 classes cut from 21 district high schools (16 Mar 10)
Shadow Education Minister Michelle Roberts has slammed the Barnett Government's decision to cut year 11 and 12 classes from 21 district high schools across WA as a blatant cost-cutting measure.

Labor calls for stringent food labelling on GM food (15 Mar 10)
Shadow Minister for Agriculture Mick Murray called on the Barnett Government to give Western Australian consumers choice at the checkout by ensuring all food products containing GM crops are clearly labelled.

Call for action on brothels in our suburbs (14 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government has failed to fulfil a major election promise to regulate prostitution in Western Australia, Shadow Attorney General John Quigley said today.

Industry celebrates achievement despite Barnett Government neglect (13 Mar 10)
At a time when Western Australia’s information technology and telecommunications industry celebrate their best and brightest, the Barnett Government continues to neglect the sector, Shadow Science and Innovation Minister Kate Doust said today.

Lights are out and no one's answering the phone at Western Power (13 Mar 10)
City and country residents are suffering due to Western Power and Horizon’s unacceptable performance standards, Shadow Energy Minister Kate Doust said today.

56 new Government websites created in one year (13 Mar 10)
New figures have revealed the Barnett Government created more than 50 new websites during the 2008/09 financial year.

Small business hit by crippling power prices (12 Mar 10)
Small businesses across the State will be crippled as a result of massive hikes in power prices, Shadow Small Business Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich said today.

Health job losses stretch State's health system (11 Mar 10)
Shadow Health Minister Roger Cook today called on Health Minister Kim Hames to reassure Western Australians that the State’s health system will cope following the loss of 60 staff.

Multicultural Minister captive to religious backbench (11 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government has continued to pay lip-service to multiculturalism by appointing a recently arrived pastor who succeeded a Liberal MP at his church to the Government’s official Multicultural Advisory Group.

Police Commissioner at odds with the Premier on new laws (11 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government's extreme stop and search laws go well beyond what the Police require for operational reasons, Opposition Police spokeswoman Margaret Quirk said today.

Barnett Government rolls the dice on GM crop gamble (11 Mar 10)
Farmers and consumers have lost the battle to keep Western Australia a GM crop free State, Shadow Agriculture Minister Mick Murray said today.

WA ratepayers set to foot the bill for further power price hikes (11 Mar 10)
Local councils across Western Australia will be forced to pass on the huge power price hike to ratepayers, Shadow Local Government Minister Paul Papalia said today.

Wa Ses Volunteers Applauded For Victorian Storm Help (11 Mar 10)
Shadow Emergency Services Minister Margaret Quirk today applauded the efforts of Western Australian emergency services volunteers heading to Victoria to assist with the clean up after severe storms battered the State.

Heartless Government refuses to cancel $26,000 water bill (11 Mar 10)
A leaking pipe resulted in a Harvey resident being hit with a $26,000 water bill, Shadow Water Minister Fran Logan said today.

Future of State's major infrastructure projects at risk (10 Mar 10)
The Auditor General report released today on Perth’s Arena is a warning to the Barnett Government for future major projects in our State, Labor Leader Eric Ripper said today.

Buswell Seeks A Billion To Bolster Busted Budget (10 Mar 10)
Western Australian families will pay for Treasurer Troy Buswell’s financial recklessness, Acting Shadow Treasurer Mark McGowan said today.

291 vacant properties as housing waitlist explodes (10 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government has admitted it had 291 vacant Homeswest properties last November as more than 53,000 people wait for public housing, Shadow Housing Minister Mark McGowan said today.

Labor supports school support worker pay battle (10 Mar 10)
Labor Leader Eric Ripper will today join with more than 100 school support workers as they take their battle for a fair pay rise to the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission

WA workers to pay for Minister's training inaction (10 Mar 10)
Shadow Training Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich today called on Workforce Development Minister Peter Collier to explain what he is doing to protect Western Australian jobs.

Premier throws energy industry into turmoil (10 Mar 10)
Premier Colin Barnett has today thrown Western Australia's energy industry into turmoil by re-igniting the prospect of remerging Verve Energy and Synergy, Shadow Energy Minister Kate Doust said today.

Labor moves to axe the fish tax (09 Mar 10)
Labor will introduce a disallowance motion to Parliament today to oppose the general boat fishing licence as part of its campaign to axe the fish tax.

Castrilli's $6million amalgamation shambles (09 Mar 10)
More than $6million of taxpayers money has been ploughed into the Barnett Government's forced amalgamations process, Shadow Local Government Minister Paul Papalia said today.

Minister clueless on One Movement freebies (09 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government has been further compromised over the One Movement funding fiasco, after it was forced to release information revealing Eventscorp has no way of tracking what it does with sponsorship tickets it receives from promoters, Shadow Arts

WA tourism noticeably absent from national awards (09 Mar 10)
The failure of the Western Australian tourism industry to pick up a single trophy, or even a mention, at the recently held Qantas Australian Tourism Awards 2009 reinforces that tourism under the Barnett Government has gone backwards, Shadow Tourism Minist

No increase in bus or train services for at least 5 years (09 Mar 10)
There will be no additional bus or train services for any suburb in Perth and the outer suburbs for at least five years, Shadow Transport Minister Ken Travers said today.

Greenbushes railway becomes Barnett Government broken promise (08 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government has admitted it will not upgrade the Greenbushes railway, breaking a key election promise.

Youth programs face crippling power hikes (08 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government’s decision to raise power charges by 66.3 per cent for sporting complexes, churches and schools is a cruel blow for youth sporting clubs and groups delivering services to young people, Shadow Youth Minister Sally Talbot said today.

WA families hit with another 18 per cent power price hike (08 Mar 10)
Western Australian families will be hit with an 18 per cent increase in electricity bills this year, Labor Leader Eric Ripper said today.

Minister stalls on urgent hoon law changes (08 Mar 10)
Shadow Police Minister Margaret Quirk today called on the Barnett Government to fulfil its promise to protect the public from hoon legislation loopholes by bringing amendments up for urgent debate in Parliament this week.

Ward death injustice extended by ex-gratia payment delays (07 Mar 10)
Shadow Attorney General John Quigley today called on the Barnett Government to immediately approve a $200,000 interim ex-gratia payment to the family of Indigenous elder Mr Ward who died tragically in a prisoner transport van in 2008.

Pastoral heritage and environment threatened as bulldozers move in (07 Mar 10)
An environmental catastrophe is looming and a valued part of WA’s history is threatened with destruction as a number of old homesteads under the control of the Department of Environment and Conservation are bulldozed and allowed to fall into grave disrepa

Local jobs on Gorgon ignored by Barnett Government (06 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government’s admission that it does not have a single dedicated public servant working on local content for the $43billion Gorgon project is shameful, Shadow State Development Minister Mark McGowan said today.

Too many questions on Waste Authority Head's departure (06 Mar 10)
Shadow Environment Minister Sally Talbot today slammed the Barnett Government for its hypocritical treatment of Waste Authority Chair Barry Carbon.

Barnett Government duds sea sculptures (05 Mar 10)
The City of Perth has been left to cater for the arts in Perth because of the Barnett Government's cruel budget cuts, Shadow Culture and the Arts Minister John Hyde said today.

Library funding shortfall to hit local government budgets (05 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government’s cost-shifting on local libraries will hit local governments hard as they prepare their 2010-2011 budget, Shadow Culture and the Arts Minister John Hyde said today.

Huge decline in land release drives up prices (05 Mar 10)
There has been a huge decline in the supply of blocks for housing across Western Australia, Shadow Housing Minister Mark McGowan said today.

CSIRO issues grim warning for WA water supply (04 Mar 10)
The CSIRO National Research Flagship report on water yields and demands in the South West of Western Australia issues a clear warning that the state’s climate is continuing to dry, Shadow Minister for Water Fran Logan said today.

Indigenous Implementation Board needs a prison focus (04 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government’s Indigenous Implementation Board (IIB) needs a member with direct knowledge of the prison system, Shadow Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia said today.

Keystart loan applications plummet (04 Mar 10)
The introduction of tough new eligibility criteria for Keystart home loans has hit struggling low income workers hard, with figures showing the number of new loan applications plummeting at the end of last year.

Crippling power prices to hit every aspect of family life (04 Mar 10)
The household budget of Western Australian families will be hit hard as a result of massive hikes in powers charges paid by local councils, schools, hospitals, churches, sporting groups and businesses across the State, Labor Leader Eric Ripper said today.

Labor calls for greater equality for women (04 Mar 10)
Labor Leader Eric Ripper and Shadow Women’s Interests Minister Michelle Roberts today joined with prominent Western Australian women and community groups to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Perth parking fee hike nothing but grubby cash grab (03 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government is now planning to pocket $73.8million from Perth motorists – an increase of $8.3million since the State budget, Shadow Transport Minister Ken Travers said today.

WA urged to sign up to national indigenous employment plan (03 Mar 10)
Shadow Indigenous Affairs Minister Roger Cook today called on the Barnett Government to sign up to the national plan to secure 50,000 real jobs for Indigenous Australians.

Feeble response to prison overcrowding not enough (03 Mar 10)
The expansion of Pardelup work camp by 64 beds has completely ignored the massive overcrowding 40 minutes drive away in Albany prison, Shadow Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia said today.

City motorists pour millions into State coffers (03 Mar 10)
The failure of Transport Minister Simon O’Brien to commit to any new CAT buses in Perth is further confirmation that the Treasurer is using the increased parking fees to balance the State budget.

Power outages threaten Kalbarri businesses (03 Mar 10)
Residents and businesses in Kalbarri have again been subject to lengthy power outages over the long weekend while portable generators in the town stood silent, Shadow Energy Minister Kate Doust said today.

Hospitals may be owed millions due to billing bungle (02 Mar 10)
Western Australian hospitals which have failed to lodge claims with private health insurance companies for hundreds of surgical procedures may be owed millions of dollars, Shadow Health Minister Roger Cook said today.

Regional tourism to suffer if air fares rise under deregulation (02 Mar 10)
The Barnett Government’s proposal to deregulate regional air services could spell disaster for many regional WA towns and their tourism industry, Shadow Minister for Transport Ken Travers said today.

WA water privatisation hides budget neglect (01 Mar 10)
Shadow Water Minister, Fran Logan said the Barnett Government was hiding the serious state of WA’s budget and growing debt problems with the recent announcement by the Treasurer and the Water Minister to offer the first Public Private Partnership for West

Police cop another station closure (28 Feb 10)
The Barnett Government has closed more police stations than it has opened, Shadow Police Minister Margaret Quirk said today.

Local Wa Film Ignored By Barnett Government (27 Feb 10)
The Barnett Government is deliberately failing to promote the excellent indigenous WA film Stone Brothers, despite a contribution of more than $600,000 from the Government for its production.

Prisons watchdog funding should match muster explosion (27 Feb 10)
Shadow Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia today called on the Barnett Government to boost funding to the independent prison watchdog to match the explosion in size of the State’s prison muster.

53,000 Western Australians wait for public housing (26 Feb 10)
The number of people waiting for public housing has skyrocketed by more than 2000 people since September last year.

Dardanup students cram into staffroom, undercover area (26 Feb 10)
Students are being accommodated in the staff room, music room and undercover area at Dardanup Primary School because there are not enough classrooms at the school, Shadow Minister for Education Michelle Roberts said today.

Barnett and Buswell fail to secure fair deal for WA (26 Feb 10)
The Barnett Government’s failure to fight for Western Australia has resulted in the loss of more than $220million in Commonwealth funding, Acting Shadow Treasurer Mark McGowan said today.

Another Royalties for Regions black hole (25 Feb 10)
Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls today confirmed another black hole of at least $75million in the State’s budget, Shadow Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan said today.

One Movement conflict confirmed - CCC needs to investigate (25 Feb 10)
An investigation by Public Sector Commissioner Mal Wauchope has confirmed a blatant conflict of interest in Tourism WA's $2.9million deal to fund the One Movement festival, Shadow Arts Minister John Hyde said today.

Environment Minister must rethink environmental protection changes (25 Feb 10)
The Barnett Government must urgently rethink its proposed changes to the Environmental Protection Act in light of the Environmental Stakeholder Advisory Group’s report into the Appeals Process, Shadow Environment Minister Sally Talbot said today.

Rain is coming but no roof for Bunbury museum (25 Feb 10)
The historic King Cottage Museum in Bunbury is desperate for a new roof while Royalties for Regions funds remain unallocated, Shadow Arts Minister John Hyde said today.

Discrimination against WA mothers continues while Barnett Government delays legislation (24 Feb 10)
Labor today called on the Barnett Government to fast-track Labor's legislation to protect Western Australian breastfeeding mothers against discrimination.

Fraud figures missing from Ministerial spin (24 Feb 10)
Police Minister Rob Johnson and Attorney General Christian Porter have failed to explain to the public why they excluded thousands of offences from this year’s crime statistics, Labor Leader Eric Ripper said today.

Roundtable to support international students going nowhere (24 Feb 10)
Labor has echoed stakeholder concerns at the lack of Barnett Government action in dealing with attacks on international students in Western Australia, Shadow Multicultural Interests Minister John Hyde said today.

Regional and remote artists should seek Federal funds (23 Feb 10)
Shadow Minister for Culture and the Arts John Hyde today urged regional artists, art workers and organisations to apply for the Federal Government’s 2010 Regional Arts Fund.

Labor Campaigns Against Redman's Curse (23 Feb 10)
Labor today stepped up its campaign against Genetically Modified (GM) canola crops by vowing to introduce a disallowance motion to the Parliament as soon as possible to ban the growth of GM canola crops in Western Australia.

Workers denied pay rise as cost of living soars (23 Feb 10)
Labor Leader Eric Ripper today condemned Treasurer Troy Buswell for delaying pay rises for Western Australia’s lowest paid workers and spending tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers to fight the wage case against them.

Barnett Government fails small business (22 Feb 10)
Small businesses across the State have been neglected by the Barnett Government, Shadow Minister for Small Business Ljiljanna Ravlich said today.

Champion for abused children burnt by Barnett's Redress betrayal (22 Feb 10)
Premier Colin Barnett should meet with sex abuse victim advocate Michelle Stubbs to persuade her to return to the Ministerial Advisory Council on Child Sex Abuse, Shadow Community Services Minister Sue Ellery today.

Barnett Government moving at snail's pace on lobbyist register (21 Feb 10)
The Barnett Government has failed to implement a register of lobbyists in Western Australia, Shadow Government Accountability Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich said today.

Grylls' priorities out of sync with Carnarvon community (21 Feb 10)
Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls is setting pastoralists against horticulturalists by suggesting grants will be offered to diversify pastoral leases, Shadow Agriculture Minister Mick Murray said today.

WA museums face another five per cent budget cut (19 Feb 10)
Museums in WA will face a further five per cent cut in funding this year as a result of the Barnett Government’s financial mismanagement, Shadow Arts Minister John Hyde said today.

Buswell's tax grab on the resources sector threat to investment (18 Feb 10)
The Minerals Council of Australia has highlighted the impact that Treasurer Buswell‟s lazy 'tax grab' on the resource sector could have on future investment in Western Australia, Shadow Treasurer Ben Wyatt said today.

More liaison work needed for international students in WA (18 Feb 10)
The Barnett Government needs to do more to assist the growing number of Indian students and skilled migrants in Western Australia, Labor Leader Eric Ripper and Shadow Multicultural Interests Minister John Hyde said today.

More liaison work needed for international students in WA (18 Feb 10)
The Barnett Government needs to do more to assist the growing number of Indian students and skilled migrants in Western Australia, Labor Leader Eric Ripper and Shadow Multicultural Interests Minister John Hyde said today.

Prison costs continue to grow at unsustainable rate (17 Feb 10)
WA’s prison system is close to breaking point with the prison muster now approaching an unprecedented 5,000 prisoners, Shadow Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia warned today.

Barnett Government banks on the dying to save budget dollars (17 Feb 10)
The Barnett Government should offer payments to all terminally ill eligible Redress WA applicants immediately, Shadow Minister for Community Services Sue Ellery said today.

Storm clouds gather as Tourism WA privatisation threat looms (17 Feb 10)
Shadow Tourism Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich today called on Tourism Minister Liz Constable to guarantee that Tourism WA would not be privatised or its functions outsourced.

Barnett's Bailout For $250million Health Budget Blowout (17 Feb 10)
The Barnett Government's budget is heading towards a deficit after Premier Colin Barnett said he would bail out the Department of Health's $250million budget blowout, Shadow Treasurer Ben Wyatt said today.

Farmers unanimously reject Barnett Government's grain-freight rail closure (17 Feb 10)
More than 300 farmers and community members from the Wheatbelt unanimously rejected a State Government plan to close more than 700km of grain rail network at a meeting at Bruce Rock yesterday afternoon.

Consultation and funding missing on foreshore Indigenous centre (16 Feb 10)
Serious questions remain about the consultation process and funding for the Perth Foreshore Indigenous arts and culture centre, Shadow Culture and the Arts Minister John Hyde said today.

Loose lips threaten business investment security (16 Feb 10)
The Barnett Government’s “talk now - think later” approach to managing the State’s finances is threatening the security of investment in Western Australia, Shadow Treasurer Ben Wyatt said today.

Threat to Coroner's Court leaves families waiting for answers (16 Feb 10)
Special legal counsel should be appointed immediately to clear the Coroner’s Court case backlog, Shadow Attorney General John Quigley said today.

New children's hospital delayed until 2015 (16 Feb 10)
The Barnett Government has broken a key election promise following revelations that Princess Margaret Hospital will not be built until late 2015, Shadow Health Minister Roger Cook said today.

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