The electorate of Canning, which includes Mandurah and its surrounding districts, will go to the polls for the second time in nine months after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull signalled an early election would be held on July 2.
On Monday the Senate failed to pass legislation to crack-down on building and construction unions, giving Mr Turnbull a trigger for a double-dissolution election, meaning the entire Senate would be up for reelection as well as the House of Representatives.
The last time Canning went to the polls was on September 19, 2015, in a byelection caused by the death of sitting member Don Randall.
Andrew Hastie, who defeated Labor’s Matt Keogh in the byelection, will be the Liberal candidate in the upcoming general election, but Mr Keogh is running for Labor in the new seat of Burt, which includes the Perth suburbs of Armadale and Gosnells.
Labor’s WA campaign director Patrick Gorman said in November, 2015: “WA Labor is in ongoing discussions with potential candidates for Canning and intends to have a candidate in place early in the new year.”
However, there is still no word on a candidate, meaning Labor will be heading into the campaign without a name to put against Mr Hastie’s on the ballot paper.
Mr Hastie won the 2015 byelection with a two-party preferred margin of 5.26 per cent.
At the 2013 general election, Mr Randall held the seat by 11.81 per cent.
Mr Gorman has been contacted for comment.