How the West was lost

Brendon Grylls's new Nationals may have only increased their primary vote from 3.7 to 5.0 per cent, but it should be noted that this represents an increase of more than a third.

Clearly it was an election for the minor parties and independents. This is hardly surprising given an unpopular government and a weak opposition. The swing to the Liberals was only 2.7 per cent compared with 4.1 per cent to the Greens.

Grylls' policy of spending a quarter of mining royalties in the regional areas was a simple but effective message. Often the best kind. Let's hope it doesn't become just another slush fund for National seats like we have seen at Federal level. The regional electorates of Pilbara and Kimberley, held by the ALP, deserve their fair share of the cake too - especially given that they are the source of much of the mining revenue.

The election of former ALP minister John Bowler as an independent in Kalgoorlie is full of irony. He is now trying to play the same game as Grylls, offering his support to whichever major party will offer the most to the electorate he snatched from the Liberal party on Saturday. He was expelled and then readmitted to the WA Labor Party earlier this year after serving a five-month suspension from parliament for alleged leaks. Carpenter had vigorously opposed his readmittance even after his name had been cleared.

The State ALP head office must also be held accountable. Last year’s Federal campaign was poorly managed with the West being the only State to go backwards for Labor. Let’s hope that State Secretary Bill Johnston will be more successful as the member for Carrington. I found it almost impossible to help as a volunteer on central campaigns. I’ll save any other comments for internal party forums.

There has been a lot of speculation about whether the hegemony of Labor governments was a factor. Certainly it was a bad week to be flying the ALP standard. The ongoing New South Wales fiasco resulting in Premier Morris Iemma's resignation can't have helped.

Despite the Rudd Government's continuing strong opinion poll numbers, a lot of buoyancy has gone out of the national mood, with the controversies over FuelWatch and GroceryWatch, the Murray-Darling disaster and a retreat by Ross Garnaut on carbon emissions. Paul Henderson's misreading of the Northern Territory situation certainly gave anti-Labor forces in WA a boost.

Finally voters across Australia are angry. It is more than just a climate of change in politics. Voters are hurting and they will not tolerate perceived failure, weakness or arrogance from their politicians. It is not just a case of protest voting. If you’re not delivering or are consumed by internal strife then you'll be punished. The same lesson has been delivered in the Northern Territory, Mayo and Lyne.

Alan Carpenter may yet form a minority government. Let's hope that if he gets another chance to fulfil his potential, it is not wasted.