WA election result
Western Australia voted last weekend and the result is still unknown. I’ve avoided commenting until now, even though I have much to say.
I voted for Tony Crook (Nationals) in Kalgoorlie. He lost on preferences, but the state Nationals are almost certain to hold the balance of power and decide the next government.
I have no inside knowledge about what Brendon Grylls and his colleagues are thinking, but I have an inkling.
I first met Brendon Grylls in about the second month after I arrived in Kalgoorlie, roughly March 2006. He was fairly new to the role of National Party leader at that stage.
He struck me as sincere and committed. I agreed with everything he said about the Nationals needing to be more independent, otherwise they would die, but I seriously doubted his capacity to inspire change.
Although intelligent and dedicated, Brendon has a lisp and lacks a little in the charisma stakes. Offsetting that, I suppose the ladies would say he’s good looking, he’s youthful and he works extremely hard.
Most importantly, he’s genuine and determined. He has stuck consistently to the policy of “royalties for regions” whereby a guaranteed amount of the state’s mining royalties will be invested in country areas.
Under the electoral redistribution, many people predicted the Nationals would be wiped out in the lower house. It was thought their best chance was to win two or three seats in the upper house, while holding one or two in the lower house.
It appears they will win four seats in the lower house and anywhere between three and six seats in the upper house.
They came very close to winning another three seats in the lower house.
The result is a credit to the determination of Brendon Grylls and the independent course he charted.
That’s why it’s insulting of the Liberals to assume or imply, as they have done, the Nationals should join them in Coalition.
Brendon always said he would take the best deal for the bush if he won the balance of power. He has won the balance of power and he is seeking the best deal.
The Nationals performed well in Kalgoorlie and northern seats they had barely contested before, so the argument about being traditionally aligned with the Liberals is nonsense.
That said, I don’t know how their agricultural constituency and even their MPs feel about the possibility of an alliance with Labor.
I don’t know if that’s the best option myself.
There was a mood for change and the Liberals topped the primary vote.
However, there is a history of the Country Party working with Labor in Victoria that should not be ignored.
My reading of the situation from a distance is that Brendon would like to deal with Alan Carpenter and Labor if they offer a good enough deal. He needs Labor to present a good deal and for his own MPs to support him if that’s to occur.
I think he’s sincere in not wanting ministries, but it may be pragmatic of him to take the portfolio responsible for the royalties scheme.
If Brendon sides with Labor, and if they can maintain a stable government, I imagine Colin Barnett will quit the Liberals again and they will self destruct again.
If the royalties scheme works, that will position the Nationals nicely to pick off Liberal and Labor regional seats at the next election.
If they side with Labor and Labor self destructs over Corruption and Crime Commission matters, or anything else, it might be a different story.
If they side with the Liberals, they might struggle to maintain their position at the next election.
Supporting Labor also poses challenges over uranium mining, daylight saving and genetically modified crops.
It’s a fascinating situation and whatever the Nationals decide, they have changed the dynamics of Australian politics.
I'm a 41-year-old father of four working as a newspaper editor at Mount Gambier in South Australia.
