Liberal leader Mike Nahan was in the state seat of Dawesville on Monday, talking to locals and rebuilding his party’s stocks in the wake of its recent defeat in the March state election.
Ahead of a series of public forums with seniors and community leaders, Dr Nahan said he would be discussing issues such as unemployment, methamphetamine abuse and recent increases in state government fees and charges for seniors.
He said he was concerned about the dislocation in the jobs market for young people in Mandurah.
“I remember back when we were in the peak of the boom, youth unemployment in Mandurah was still very high, over 10 per cent while there was basically full employment everywhere else,” he said.
“I can’t say why, but I suspect it’s educational outcomes.
“Even during that time there was a hell of a lot of work in the construction sector down here and they weren’t being hired.”
He said he was concerned a crack down by government on overseas workers would lead to a spike in wage growth, which would mean businesses would struggle.
On methamphetamine abuse, Dr Nahan said he was concerned the new state government would not take on the tough measures to protect the community and slammed its promise to set up a 100 member state border force.
“They makes the noises, but let’s see,” he said.
“First of all you have to stop the importation and that hundred man police border unit is a joke.
“That was funded by closing down the Regional Operations Group, which was very effective. Then you need to help people rehabilitate.”
Dawesville MP Zak Kirkup, who hosted the visit, said it was an opportunity for Dr Nahan to hear directly from voters in his district.
“Having Mike in Mandurah is an opportunity for me,” he said.
“We’re talking about issues specific to people here and for those who are on fixed incomes – self-funded retirees or pensioners – they’ve been hit recently by the Labor party's decision to increase power prices by 10.9 per cent on their fixed charge.
“As he goes about his conversations he can talk about the experiences of people in Mandurah and Dawesville.”