Opinion Piece - Geraldton is the quiet achiever on WA stage - Midwest Times

GERALDTON IS THE ‘QUIET ACHIEVER’ ON WA STAGE

As the proud representative of the electorate of Perth in the Federal Parliament, I hope most West Australians would agree it is the best capital on earth.

But when Anthony Albanese appointed me as his shadow assistant minister for Western Australia in January, it was time to hit the road.

Geraldton was the obvious starting point — our biggest city north of the metropolitan area.

Geraldton and the Mid West are part of our WA success story as one of the most biologically, culturally and economically diverse places in the world. 

While our international borders are closed, it is clear Geraldton and regional WA will be in huge demand from tourists in coming years.

We offer the safety and beauty those in locked-down countries are dreaming of to get through the pandemic nightmare.

Building new tourism experiences like the Shore Leave seafood festival is part of the puzzle. The other is ensuring those tourism businesses surviving on JobKeeper get some ongoing support for the next year or so until international travel returns.

As one person said to me, Geraldton is the “quiet achiever”. Using the natural resources and skills of West Australians to strengthen our national economy.  

When the WA economy does well, the national economy does well. Even in the face of a global pandemic, the Mid West proves this.

The question for the Federal Parliament is how do we make sure this success story continues. 

One solution Labor has put forward is to make childcare more affordable for working families. Removing the financial penalties of lost support when both parents work a full-time week.

Another is to keep skilled workers and the wealth they create in our regions. Labor’s plan to strengthen job security and reduce insecure work will help here. We all know secure jobs help people put down roots and give hope to young people entering the workforce.

The call from my meetings for ongoing investments in economic infrastructure and skills was also persistent. This was the same message from everyone from the WA Centre for Rural Health, to the Mid West Port, to the City of Greater Geraldton. 

My time with the people and leaders of Geraldton gave me more evidence of what I know to be true — we all win when the Federal Parliament plans for our regions as well as our cities.

First published in the Midwest Times on Wednesday, 24 February 2021