Issues for WA in the federal election

THE ISSUES LIKELY TO MATTER TO WA VOTERS

GST DISTRIBUTION

WA gets a lot less than the rest of the country, it's a fact. Only 30 cents in the dollar, many times less than the other states and only $2.04 billion, or 3.4 per cent, of the total GST pool of $60.7 billion next year. Voters will want Labor and Liberal to compensate for that with funding to show WA is not short changed. The coalition government has already given a top-up payments of $490 million, WA will share in the $40 billion naval ship-building program with South Australia and has been promised $260 million to pay for the Perth freight link tunnel.

POST-MINING BOOM ECONOMY

No one has felt the end of the boom more acutely than nervous West Aussies worried about their jobs and futures. Developing and diversifying the economy isn't just a buzz word here, it's needed urgently. Unemployment in WA hit six per cent for the first time in a decade earlier this year and the economy is in a downturn. The federal Liberals took credit for the boom when Labor wanted a mining tax and now now that commodity prices have plunged voters want the major parties to take responsibility and steer the economy back on course.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT FUNDING

Perth voters complain about urban sprawl, road congestion and how the train system only services a small proportion of a city whose population has doubled to two million since 1983. Public transport funding pledges will grab attention. Both state Labor and the Liberals failed to deliver on their respective 2013 metropolitan rail commitments. Tony Abbott refused to contribute Commonwealth cash for urban rail and while PM Malcolm Turnbull is well known for his enthusiasm for trains, he has not backed any such projects in the West Australian capital. Opposition leader Bill Shorten, on the other hand, says federal government grants will help pay for WA Labor's Metronet project to boost rail.

BUDGET

Debt levels at both a federal and state level are substantial, with WA losing its AAA credit rating and the Commonwealth's threatened. The Liberal party is the custodian of these debts. Premier Colin Barnett's slump in opinion polls could flow through to the federal election, with voters potentially seeing the state's deteriorating finances as proof that Liberals leadership does not necessarily equate to strong fiscal management.

ASYLUM SEEKERS

Bill Shorten's stance on asylum seekers will be closely watched. When the number of boat people arrivals in Australia soared during the Rudd-Gillard years, they arrived off WA's coast. West Australians would want Mr Shorten to convince them there won't be a repeat. The Liberals' domination of WA's lower house seats suggests West Australians have strongly supported the Coalition's zero tolerance approach to people smuggling and boat people.