Liza Harvey interested in WA Liberals leadership, just not yet
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WA's Deputy Premier Liza Harvey has ruled out a last-minute Liberal leadership change, despite weekend polls showing her to be more popular with voters than Premier Colin Barnett.
Mrs Harvey arrived at the last Cabinet meeting before the March 11 state election confident the Liberals could win the poll, insisting she sensed a shift in public support toward the Government.
The ReachTel poll published in The Weekend West showed Mrs Harvey's preferred Liberal leader status had jumped from 30.6 per cent to 53.9 per cent in just four months.
But she repeated the Premier's assertion that he would step down sometime during a third term, and said it was only then that the leadership would come into play.
"He has said he will step down at some point during the next period of government should we be elected," she said.
"And at that point in time, yes, I would put my name forward as a potential replacement.
"I'm not going to talk about hypotheticals like that. The scenario, as it sits at this point in time, is that the Premier will take us through to the March state election."
Roe 8 extension dominating election campaign
One of the most divisive issues facing the Government as it heads to the election remains the Perth Freight Link.
The Government faces opposition on its current project, known as Roe 8, to extend Roe Highway across the Beeliar Wetlands to Stock Road.
It was also facing criticism for the uncertainty over the next stage, known as Roe 9, from Stock Road into Fremantle.
While environmentalists oppose Roe 8 through the wetlands, residents and businesses along Stock Road and part of Leach Highway have been living in fear of losing their properties to Roe 9.
On the weekend, the Barnett Government tried to ease those fears by announcing Roe 9 would involve building a tunnel from the intersection of Stock and Winterfold roads to where High Street meets Stirling Highway.
Some of those residents and businesses are on the southern border of the new seat of Bicton, a notionally Liberal seat with a 10 per cent margin.
By taking the Roe 9 stage of the Perth Freight Link underground, the Liberals hope Liberal MP Matt Taylor will hold the seat.
But opponents of Roe 8 have vowed to continue their fight, which last week resulted in clashes with police and more than 30 arrests.
Harvey points finger at Labor for 'inciting protesters'
Mrs Harvey blames Labor for inciting the opposition with its promise to scrap the project if it wins office.
"If you are saying to people who are trying to delay a project, 'if this project is delayed, and we're re-elected, we'll cancel it', which gives them their outcome, that is encouraging them to continue with their protest activity," she told reporters.
Mrs Harvey acknowledged the crowd of protesters included a range of people, but stressed it also included extremists.
"There are people legitimately protesting but there are those extreme radical protesters who are bolting themselves onto trees and equipment and all of this other nonsense, tying up police resources and deliberately trying to delay that project in the hope that there'll be a change of government and it will be cancelled," she said.
But shadow treasurer Ben Wyatt said WA Labor was not inciting anyone.
He said WA Labor made it clear that the only way to stop Roe 8 and the Perth Freight Link was to change the Government.
"I don't want to see people arrested. I don't want to see people stopping people legally doing their job," Mr Wyatt said.
"Roe 8 will only be stopped, not by the protesters, but by a change in government."
Mr Wyatt urged those opposing Roe 8 to direct their efforts to removing the Barnett Government.
"I'll say to those people protesting, if you're going to do so, do so peacefully, but your efforts may better be placed trying to ensure Mr Barnett is not elected to a third term," he said.
Topics: elections, state-parliament, perth-6000, wa
