From Alannah's Desk

Historic Electoral Reform Announced

I am proud to be part of the team delivering one-vote, one-value democracy to the Legislative Council of Western Australia. As part of these reforms, all 37 Upper House Members will represent all Western Australians. It will make the Legislative Council a much richer place. We will see more voices represented and we will see new parties formed. It will become a true House of Review.

Twenty-eight years ago I delivered my first speech in the WA Parliament and I emphasised then the undemocratic nature of the Legislative Assembly. This year, we are taking the opportunity to make the house a democratic chamber and a true house of review, making sure that there is no difference in the value of the vote. 

Prior to this history-making electoral reform, the vote of a person from Bindoon was worth almost two and a half times the vote of a person from Albany, Denmark or Jerramungup. That is clearly not just.

Under these reforms, parties will represent state-wide interests. People from the Kimberley to Perth and Albany might share particular views that members will get an opportunity to represent, and the chamber will more adequately represent the diversity of views in the population. 

The lower house is where government is formed and stability is provided by having a preponderance of major parties, while the Council will have a more diverse range of opinions represented. 

These changes will allow for a huge degree of diversity and they will enable representation to be based not on random drawings of the electoral boundaries whereby people in Bindoon are favoured over people in Albany. They will ensure that we have a house that represents the great diversity of political views within the state in a way that cannot be done in the Legislative Assembly. The chamber will become a proper house of review in which the full diversity of opinion can be supported. 

Great Southern Art + Craft Trail Launch

The 18th Southern Art and Craft Trail was officially launched at the Albany Entertainment Centre in September, showcasing creative works from across the Great Southern region. 

Over 50 exhibitions by 200+ artists are drawing visitors and investment into the region over a three-week period. 

This government is proud to support this incredibly creative venture with funding, and I was delighted to open the trail alongside the Member for Albany, Rebecca Stephens MLA and Member for Warren Blackwood, Jane Kelsbie MLA.

Wave Energy Update

It’s vital that as we move to decarbonise our economy, we embrace every possible renewable energy opportunity. Recently, we joined the Blue Economy CRC and UWA’s Wave Energy Research Centre to announce a new investment in wave energy R&D in Albany - a joint $4.8million project to deploy an M4 energy device into King George Sound.

This project will prove up the wave suitability of King George Sound for smaller, floating wave energy devices for use by local industry, with a focus on renewable micro-grid options for the rapidly-growing Great Southern aquaculture industry.

Importantly, the project will support Great Southern businesses, with more than 80 per cent of the Government contribution to the project being reinvested locally.

This Albany Wave Energy Demonstration proposal reinforces Albany and Western Australia as a leading research hub and test location as this important technology continues to emerge.

Hon Alannah MacTiernan MLC | Member for the South West Region