WA is important to the Liberals: Downer

Western Australia is enormously important in the federal election and the Liberal Party is placing a great deal of emphasis on the state, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says.

Mr Downer said despite the fact WA had only 15 out of 150 of the country’s lower house seats, it did not make it less important to the campaign and he denied the prime minister was neglecting the state.

“Mr Howard has been here,” Mr Downer told reporters in Perth, where he was campaigning in the Labor-held marginal seat of Cowan.

“Australia is a big country and he can’t be here everyday. Western Australia is enormously important in terms of the election and certainly the Liberal party is placing a great deal of emphasis on Western Australia.”

WA has four marginal seats all in the Perth metropolitan area.

Cowan and Swan are held by the ALP, while the liberals hold Hasluck and Stirling.

“You say only 15 seats, that’s not unimportant ... so I think Western Australia is very important,” Mr Downer added.

“And quite a lot of seats here are marginal Liberal and marginal Labor, so that tends to focus the mind.”

The foreign minister today announced a re-elected coalition government would provide $3 million to upgrade the Kingsway Sporting Complex in the Cowan seat’s suburb of Madeley.

Mr Downer took time out at the Madeley complex to shoot for goal at a netball court, bagging one on his second attempt.

He said he had no real prior experience at the game, except that his three daughters played.

Mr Downer then travelled to the seat of Hasluck - where he was due to announce $95,000 in funding to rebuild the fire-damaged pavilion at Jackmann Oval and a $100,000 grant so the Gosnells bowling club could buy a new synthetic bowling green.

as posted on TheWest