What’s in store in WA politics in 2026
All public comments to date indicate that this price tag is still on track, but in today’s inflated construction market, there is no way it will still cost this price.
Another issue that haunts the Labor Party is health and housing.
Artist’s impression of the new Royal Perth Hospital S block.
Ambulance demands exceeding 7,000 hours this winter flu season and maintenance problems in aging hospitals have created a perfect health storm.
In response to opposition pressure on the management of the health portfolio, the government announced $64.6 million in extra hospital maintenance and renovations to tackle aging infrastructure.
It has also allocated $1.5 billion to complete three major health projects by the next election: an entirely new hospital at Peel Health Campus, the purchase of Mt Lawley Hospital from St John of God, and the addition of a new ward and emergency department at the Royal Perth Hospital.
Peel and RPH won’t open next year, so Labor will still be dealing with a constrained system, and if next winter’s flu system is also shocking, it could result in more horror headlines.
WA’s accelerating population growth and a warming construction market continue to hinder housing progress.
The waiting list for public housing is stubbornly high at more than 23,000 applicants and 7,800 priority applicants, and while the government is making bold progress as Housing Minister John Carey has framed it, it is unable to build homes at the pace it needs.
Expect more left-of-center announcements, such as the acquisition of the Fraser Suites hotel.
A ticking time bomb remains in Perth’s southern suburbs as Hakea continues to be overrun with prisoners sleeping in triple bunk beds in cells, with some men sleeping centimeters from shared toilets, according to prison inspector Eamon Ryan.
Some guards were injured in the “incident” that took place at the detention center on Christmas Eve. The government’s worst nightmare would be for a guard to be seriously injured or worse at Hakea when all the warning signs were there.
Hakea Prison.
It’s clear the state needs a new adult prison, but opening Acacia with a comprehensive infrastructure programme, including the expansion and replacement of Unit 18 next to Banksia Hill, will take years and leave the government vulnerable in the near term.
The Cook government and WA Police have good relations with the state’s Jewish community, but as the effects of the Bondi massacre linger they will feel greater pressure to do more to stamp out all forms of anti-Semitism in the state. This will include opposition and Jewish community agitation in support of a national royal commission into Bondi and anti-Semitism.
There are just four years until 2030, before Labor promises to end coal-fired electricity in the state.
There are still tremendous hurdles to overcome, including building transmission lines to support more renewable energy on the grid, as well as building or supporting private capital to build their own energy.
Opposition
Unfettered by the need to make any actual decisions, a comfortable position to be in opposition, and now with some experience, Zempilas’ job in 2026 is to stay away from the government, find more chinks in their armor, and hammer them.
Zempilas will need to win the hearts and minds of voters who are either unimpressed or openly hate him.
A big group that needs to prove itself is women and social progressives, who are in large numbers among their voters.
He must continue to walk the tightrope between appealing to conservatives in his own party while pleasing his own voters on issues like climate change and social justice.
Basil Zempilas, leader of the Western Australian opposition.Credit: AAPIMAGE
We expect Canning MP Andrew Hastie to make more public noise.
He also needs to start laying the foundation for his party’s 2029 campaign this year. This means identifying a workable model for a formal coalition for the Nationals and Liberals; This won’t be easy given the Nationals were cheated out of upper house seats by the Liberals at the last election.
He will also need to address his party’s tendency to pre-select lousy candidates who do nothing but detract from the Liberals’ campaign.
Greens
There was a lot of noise after the March election about the Greens holding the balance of power in the upper house, but ultimately Labor didn’t need to.
It is difficult to foresee a law that will require their support this year, but you never know; A year is a long time in politics.
