Graham, I think you are pretty close to being on the money.

A couple of points:

One Nation getting into bed with Libs (preference deals) has been a disaster, which is likely to see a stronger swing to Labor and other minor parties.

You made no mention of Independent candidates, I think there will be a large increase due to voter dissatisfaction with all the major and minor parties, and finally,

It won't really matter much, the State is broke, the same old same old just won't be enough to repair the damage and lastly voter apathy and hubris will see more of a 'selection' rather than 'election' for any meaningful change.

A pity really when you consider the opportunities this State could offer with good management, fiscal prudence and a little vision and resolve.

Cheers, Geoff

The usual pattern has been that after a government
has been in power for as long as Barnett's, voters usually
want a change. The polls are predicting a swing to Labor.
We'll have to wait and see. I'm not sure how well known
the Labor candidate is or how experienced or qualified he is.
Still a change is as good as ...

If only Barnett could pull a rabbit out of a hat and convince
the voters that he still has a great deal to offer. But
perhaps it's too late.

As with the rest of Australia, neither the Liberals nor Labor have have any business thinking that they should be in government although, sadly, one of them will. I don't think that One Nation has much to do with state politics.

By tonight, no matter which pack of drones wins, WA will be no better or worse off for the next three years. All Australian elections will be ho hum affairs until we find people with the honesty and integrity to make changes. Alas, we don't have such animals at the moment.

Personally I would vote for Barnett.
To me the other guy is an unknown and
I simply wouldn't risk it. I'd give Barnett
another chance and if he blows it this time
he'd be out on his ear the next time around.

While your kindly analysis is largely correct Graham. Not what I'd describe as on the money. What we see is the result of riding a mining boom, taking credit for those results and consequently being welded to them when the brown stuff hits the fan.

I expect government to change hands today, but then Labor will confront the same debt and deficit issues that have handcuffed the now fractured coalition. And more than ever, the whipped dog approach to energy is biting hard.

Most folk understand that energy is an essential service,rather than a market for money grubbing investors to make a killing, usually it's the economy that's the subsequent corpse!

Moreover, those blinded by dollar bills or power can't see that or are focused their electoral (power) prospects alone. As far as I know, WA does not have much in the way of coal prospects? The kerfuffle over the Timour Sea gas and oil prospects, not helpful.

What that state needs is bold vision and an energy plan for the future. And given the natural abundance of thorium and what it promises!? They could do worse than pin their economic revival to that.

Somebody needs to lead. rather than follow like vision impaired sheep! The outcome in most of, sold to the highest bidder, Australia!

Walkaway safe, clean, cheap, not for profit, people's thorium power, coupled to space age desalination as deionization, could not just Change the W.A. landscape, but remake it anew as a veritable garden of eden!
Alan B.

Having lived in W.A. for thirty years I personally think the state is far too large to manage as a whole.
My years have been in the Kimberley and quite frankly it's like living in another country.
The lifestyle is different, the needs are different, the people are different.
The logististics of providing services, education, health, jobs etc over such a massive area is always going to be problematic for any government.
Just consider, health issues alone. You live in the north and need to see a specialist, one who doesn't travel to the north routinely. So there is the cost of a return airfare, $60/night towards accommodation and $75 taxi voucher. Per person. Every time!
Or even for a basic MRI. Same thing.
Then there is the never ending issue of remote aboriginal communities and the small fortune it takes to keep them functioning.
It doesn't matter which party gets power, the problems will remain whilst the size of the state stays unchanged.
Without massive income from mining I don't see how any government can get WA in the black.

Big Nana. This is always the trap for (I can't see how) folk unable to see the big picture. We are just 22 million people, blessed with more resources than countries 3-7 times our size!

And given the right management plan, able to make this one of the richest countries in the world to belong to.

W.A. is one of the largest states, but suffers by being the most arid. Cheap as chips clean walk away safe molten salt thorium energy, coupled to breakthrough deionization desalination turns every negative into a massive positive, and food and fibre production, previously only the stuff of unreachable dreams!

Production that could massively change W.A's fortunes inside a single decade, to become the food bowl of Asia.

And as such go from strength to strength in a boom without end!

It does require vision and rare Leadership. And an ability to say no the the usual plethora of money grubbing carpetbagging foreigners!

Nothing wrong with foreigners per se, just those who arrive as debt laden speculators, who buy what they want, with an IOU, often hardly worth the paper it's written on! Then expect gullible trusting Australians to pay the tab!

We have somewhere north of a two trillion super fund, our own, just needing some failsafe energy based, income earning projects to attract them/it back here.

And given we'd lose absolutely nothing we have now, but gain mind numbing heaps, offset low returns by giving the investment government guaranteed, self terminating 30 year bonds, a tax free status.

If this nation where led by a visionary like Lee Kwun Yew, something very like what I'm talking about would already be our reality.

And just not doable here, because our lot hardly share a brain and are usually bereft of new ideas! Just more of the same divide and rule ideology.

This is a country where timidity and endless blame shifting reigns supreme and vision is largely confined to the political rear vision mirror!

And fighting over the spoils of defeat!
Alan B.

The W.A. election is over with a landslide victory to labor.

The Nats not to badly hurt as the Liberal alliance partner. With MR Grylls own sea in doubt, thanks to the campaigning by foreign multinationals, with very deep pockets?

And very much against fair and equitable sharing the profits they make, with the owners of the resources that have for decades, provided billions upon billions in income, inclusive of, I believe, avoided taxes and repatriated profits!

The standout result, is that of one nation, who clawed around 5% from the jaws of around 13%, as their projected primary vote.

With super intelligent policies like their position as an anti establishment party, getting into bed with the devil.

Or their principled stand against polio and infant killing whooping cough vaccination.

Or even more intelligent friendly overtures to that, well known friend of the west, President Putin.

And topping that off with agreeing on air for thousands to hear, to being amenable to giving some of Queensland's GST to W.A. And indicative of quite remarkable intelligence at the helm of one nation.

It's is not everyday that a party can all but halve their primary vote, then halve it again just weeks out from an election! But oh so clever and more mature Pauline has managed it!

And presumably done no favors to the vanquished Libs in the clever electoral anti establishment (two bob each way) Writhing.

Sort of reminds one of those cedar grubs marching inline, until a carefully wielded twig, gradually turns the leader hard on the heels of the last member of a congo line of hairy caterpillars. Then watch as they tirelessly march in purposeful circles, until nature, thirst and sunlight spells their united doom.

Well done Pauline! No wonder you're the darling of the thinking undecided swinging voter!
Alan B.

More proof as if any more was needed that governments get voted out by an exasperated public.

Governments get voted in by default.

The incoming mob pretend the 'best' were voted in and will strut and brag. They arrogantly disregard the very clear message from the electorate that they are only second best if that in voters' assessment and they will in time prove what the other, now disgraced lot did, that getting into power and then treating voters as dumb-ass 'punters' who don't need to be consulted or satisfied between elections is a sure way to get the boot.

As the US has shown us - be careful what you
wish and who you vote for. What you thought would
be an answer to your dreams could turn out to be a
nightmare - and much worse than what you had previously.

I'm looking forward to the results of the commission of enquiry into the WA budget crisis.
How could a state in a mining boom end the boom with a fiscal deficit like some banana republic?

There will be many rocks to look under.

good precisely. It will certainly bring you the best three video clip http://showboxdownloadi.com/showbox-apk-download to mount any type of desired application on Android nice.

Doesn't,t say much for Abbot getting up hansens skirt now does it.

And now what we have once again is a labor government that is going to splash out $ms not to build anything.

Sour grapes, congratulate the people of WA for casting their vote wisely. It's their decision. It's their state..

Dear Shadow Minister,

Perhaps with spending there will be more money
for education, health, roads, aged care, jobs,
and a host of other voter demands instead of
the cuts and slashes experienced previously.

Mark McGowan is is too nice. If he had gone for the jugular and reminded the voters at every opportunity that the Libs had left a 40 billion dollar black hole of debt which alone will severely restrict anything successor governments could achieve for the State for many years to come, the March 11 rout would have scooped out a large slice of the small deluded vote that remained for Mr Barnett's disastrous party. That, and Mr Barnett's record of privatising public assets and exporting WA jobs to foreign countries like Malaysia.

As for the Roe 8 boondoggle, instead of picking up the tab for the contractors the new government could have taken a leaf out of Jeremy Corbyn's book and told them they're sacked and as for compensation the cheque would be in the mail - after the inherited deficit had been paid off.

Mr McGowan, although hog-tied by the Lib black hole, shapes up as a person who will govern honestly and protect the state as far as humanly possible from the consequences of his predecessors' squandering. First cab off the rank - pink slips for the Lib-appointed top layer of overpaid public service mandarins.

Foxy,

How can there be more spending if McGowan is simply handing over a huge dollop of taxpayer's cash to the construction companies, similar to Daniel Andrews paying out about $700m not to build a road.

You can attribute that to dear mr Abbott. Signing a blank sheet of paper at five minutes to twelve the day before an election. Of course Abbott won that election on the back of lies. But the population did not allow it to pass as you know..

No Lib can complain about the necessary cost of maintaining decent governance of the State who has remained silent about the mad Lib spending spree that left the coffers $40 billion in the red, getting the Libs thrown out neck and crop. Tough bikkie, Mr McGowan is not going to impoverish the public to satisfy Mr Greed.

That was a response to Shadow Minister, not doog.

Will this be the end of lib one nation love affair, long lasting but all good things come to an end ventually. Them easily runt that put her in jail, now hanging off her left teat.

interesting that with One Nation debacle they still almost beat the Greens in votes. Still the abc will continue to promote the lunacy of the Greens and trash anyone challenging the dogmas of their religion (ie perverting young kids, renewables madness and promotion of Islam).

SA will show you how it's done..dear runner.

Doog,

It was the state government that gave the contractual go ahead, and the recovery of costs would have happened even if they had not.