WA election: Jobs, debt and pumping tunes at Liberals' and Labor's launch events

Labor has pledged local jobs while the Liberal Party pointed to its previous political record after two terms in office, as the parties formally pitched their bid for Western Australia's vote in the upcoming March election.

Premier Colin Barnett exhorted Liberal supporters to be "brave and bold" as the his government pushes towards polling day, campaigning for a third term.

"We've got three weeks ahead of us. It's going to be fought out, on the ground, seat by seat. But we're in this," he told hundreds of blue-shirt-wearing supporters who packed the Octagon Theatre at UWA.

Mr Barnett, who arrived onstage to the sounds of Daft Punk's One More Time, used the campaign launch to outline three new election pledges.

He contrasted his government's plan for economic growth and reducing debt through privatisation of Western Power, with Labor's strategy of siphoning off royalties.

Mr Barnett said Labor's strategy was flawed and would fail.

"Labor have no plan. They have absolutely no plan. So not only can they not deliver what they are promising, they cannot guide this state economy through this new phase," he said.

Perth transformed from Dullsville to 'pumping'

Mr Barnett used the speech to linger on familiar themes, of how his government had transformed Perth from "Dullsville" into a vibrant city, through major projects like Elizabeth Quay and major events like international arts festival The Giants.

He recounted a walk through the city last night, where he was struck by the activity and crowds from the river to Northbridge.

"Not my normal language, but Perth was pumping," he said.

"I guess I always knew the physical changes could happen. What I didn't anticipate was the change in the vibrancy of our city," he said.

Premier 'comfortable' with campaign getting personal

Prior to the Premier taking to the stage, the rhetoric was much more pointed, with former state treasurer turned Federal Minister Christian Porter levelling a series of personal, scathing observations about Labor leader Mark McGowan.

After showing a picture of Mr McGowan perspiring in a press conference, Mr Porter told the crowd: "On Starship WA, we need the real McCoy, not a slimy, sweaty McGowan."

Speaking after the launch, Mr Barnett said he was untroubled by the personal references.

"They weren't my words but I am comfortable with that," he said.

"Indeed, given the abuse I've copped from Mark McGowan over the years, this is an election campaign, it's all on the table."

Labor vows WA 'won't be bullied'

Photo Labor leader Mark McGowan has pledged to freeze tafe fees and tax foreign property buyers.

ABC News: Robert Koenig-Luck

Meanwhile, WA's Opposition Leader, Mr McGowan, said he would not be bullied by the Federal Government on infrastructure funding and vowed to freeze TAFE fees, in an address to the Labor Party's campaign launch.

Mr McGowan described Labor as experienced and ready to govern, in an address to a few hundred party faithful just under three weeks from the state election.

He took to the stage to ACDC's TNT and received what one Labor figure described as a "rockstar reception", before urging the public to vote for change on March 11.

The Labor leader centred much of his speech about fighting to keep jobs in WA, saying only his party would stop privatisation and impose a new tax on foreign property buyers.

"I will freeze TAFE fees and make foreign property speculators pay for it," Mr McGowan said.

Mr McGowan said TAFE fees would not increase in the first term of a Labor government, saying a new 4 per cent surcharge on residential property purchases by foreigners would pay for that.

That surcharge would commence in 2019-20.

After the Commonwealth Government threatened to pull funding currently set aside for the Perth Freight Link if Labor attempted to redirect that towards its Metronet rail plan, Mr McGowan vowed to take a tough stand.

"I am not going to be bullied or intimidated by a politician from Canberra," Mr McGowan said.

"It will be Western Australians who will decide where our funding is directed to and the circumstances with which it is spent.

"The Federal Liberals and Nationals rip us off on our GST share, I am not going to let them rip us off on infrastructure."

Mr McGowan said voters faced a stark choice when they go to the polls, portraying the Barnett Government as tired and out of touch while describing himself as being energised and full of fresh ideas.