MADELEINE KING MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE
MEMBER FOR BRAND

I am extremely disappointed to learn that the planned Karnup Train Station as part of WA Labor’s Metronet project has been sidelined in favour of Lakelands due to the blatant pork-barrelling of the Federal Coalition Government.

If it wasn’t clear already, the Liberal Party does not care about the residents of the southern suburbs of Rockingham or anywhere in Brand for that matter.

Karnup Station has been a priority for more than 10 years, yet it has now been left on the drawing board because the Liberals are refusing to contribute any Federal funding for it.

Karnup will service residents of Baldivis, Secret Harbour, Golden Bay, Singleton, as well as Lakelands, and will take pressure off parking at Warnbro Station, which is at capacity and has been for years.

Just ask anyone who has tried parking their car at Warnbro train station after 7am.

But Lakelands is in the federal Liberal seat of Canning, while Karnup is in my electorate of Brand.

And that’s why it has been given the green light.

The Morrison Government is bankrolling Lakelands as a favour to Liberal MP Andrew Hastie.

The McGowan Government has promised Karnup Station will remain a part of Metronet stage one, although it is sadly unclear now as to when it will be built.

It may be many more years yet.

This is terrible news for the residents of the affected suburbs who have waited patiently for years to see this important piece of rail infrastructure built.

I share their deep frustration with this decision and hope the McGowan Labor Government will meet its repeated commitment to build the Karnup Station. 

Federal Labor has long called for the fast-tracking of infrastructure investment to generate economic growth and boost employment.

But today’s announcement confirms that the Liberals think they can ignore the people of Brand.

The Liberal Party has not made a single commitment to the people of Rockingham and Kwinana during the past two federal election campaigns. They should be ashamed of themselves for ignoring this vibrant and hard-working community.

Labor will back projects that benefit everyone, rather than those based on cynical pork barrelling and political point scoring.