With the upcoming state election, we’re putting local issues in the spotlight by asking candidates where they stand on the topics that matter most to our community. From roads and infrastructure to healthcare, education, and economic growth, we’re giving each candidate the chance to share their vision for the future. Stay informed and see how their priorities align with yours.
All candidates in the Mid-West and Swan Hills electorates as at 26 January 2025 were invited to participate in this feature.
Jenna Denton, Labor Party, Mid-West
What inspired you to run in this election, and what unique qualities or experiences do you bring that make you the right choice to represent our community?
I’m running because the Mid-West is my home, and I believe our communities deserve a strong, strategic voice in Parliament. My background in fishing, farming, and regional services has given me a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face. I’ve worked across business, education, health, disability, and mental health, managing and delivering services that directly impact local people.
I bring practical, solutions-focused leadership that prioritises fair and equitable investment. My experience advocating for regional communities means I understand the need for accessible health care, increased infrastructure, and opportunities for local businesses to thrive. I am committed to ensuring that decisions affecting our region are made with local input.
How do you plan to improve road safety across our region?
Road safety is critical for our communities, and I will advocate for stronger investment in maintaining and upgrading our road networks. Many Shires across the Mid-West have prioritised road infrastructure as a key funding need, and I will fight for state and federal funding to support these projects.
As a mum of two teenagers in the process of completing their driver education and hitting our roads, I also support practical safety measures such as targeted road safety education programs, particularly for young drivers. I will ensure road safety improvements reflect local needs and concerns.
How will you balance the need to protect our coastal environment against growing pressures from recreational activities and the perceived loss of lifestyle this will bring?
Our coastline is one of our greatest assets, and it must be protected for future generations, while ensuring local people can still enjoy and access it. Again, many Shires in the Mid-West have already highlighted environmental sustainability as a key priority. I will work to support dune restoration and erosion control, and ensure sustainable tourism and recreational planning that protects biodiversity while allowing for responsible access.
I will work with local fisherman, recreational users, and conservation groups to develop fair policies that safeguard marine ecosystems.
We can find practical solutions that allow us to enjoy our beautiful coastline while safeguarding it for the future.
What initiatives will you advocate for to support local businesses, farmers, and tourism operators to grow economic opportunities in the Mid-West?
Economic growth in the Mid-West must be locally driven, ensuring our businesses, farmers, and tourism operators have the support they need to thrive.
I will always advocate for stronger regional investment, securing funding for infrastructure upgrades that support business growth. Backing programs that help farmers access new markets, transition to sustainable practices, and build resilience to climate challenges. Promoting investment in regional tourism infrastructure, heritage conservation, and ecotourism opportunities to attract visitors while preserving our unique landscapes. Expanding access to grants, training, and business development programs to help local operators innovate and grow. And investment in solar, wind, and hydrogen projects that create local jobs and reduce energy costs for businesses will be at the core.
The Mid-West has incredible potential, and I’m committed to ensuring our economy grows in a way that benefits local people and strengthens our communities.
Shane Love, Nationals WA, Mid-West
What inspired you to run in this election, and what unique qualities or experiences do you bring that make you the right choice to represent our community?
After 8 years of Labor failures, I’m more passionate than ever about fighting for fairness and freedom for Western Australians — opportunity and prosperity shouldn’t depend on your postcode.
I’ve lived in regional WA all my life, and know firsthand the challenges we face. Before being elected the Member for Moore in 2013, I served 12 years as a Shire of Dandaragan Councillor, including 9 as Shire President. Representing local communities is at the heart of what I do, and it’s been my honour to spend the last 12 years in State Parliament, fighting to ensure our communities aren’t disadvantaged by city-centric policies.
As Opposition Leader, I’ve fought to ensure people across WA have access to the services and opportunities they deserve. With farming and small business interests, I understand how critical the regions are—and I won’t stand by while they’re neglected. This election is about standing up for the people of Mid-West.
How do you plan to improve road safety across our region?
WA’s road toll last year was the worst since 2016, with 60% of deaths in regional areas, despite only 20% of the population living there. The Nationals’ $276 million Safer Local Roads program will improve high-speed local government roads reducing fatalities and serious injuries.
The Nationals are committed to shifting more freight onto rail to reduce truck traffic, and in Government will form a comprehensive plan that prioritises investment in rail infrastructure.
A starting point in road safety must be increasing police presence on regional roads, this remains critical to influencing driver behaviour.
Locally, the Bindoon Bypass is a priority to remove dangerous truck movements, and we will also add passing lanes on Indian Ocean Dve south of Cervantes.
The Nationals have also committed to delivering a $45 million Mid-West rescue helicopter to save lives and improve emergency response times.
How will you balance the need to protect our coastal environment against growing pressures from recreational activities and the perceived loss of lifestyle this will bring?
The Nationals WA are standing against Labor’s relentless “War on the Weekend,” which threatens the freedoms of fishers and off-road vehicle users. Labor’s expansion of Marine Parks and restrictions on recreational fishing are not driven by science, but by an ideologically-driven green agenda, stripping Western Australians of the lifestyle they love.
While responsible environmental management is essential, it must be balanced with consultation, planning, and proper investment to ensure sustainable recreational access. Well-defined and maintained areas for fishing and off-road activities are crucial, yet Labor has refused to prioritise legislation for off-road vehicle management. This neglect has led to poor infrastructure, restricted access, and even discussions of bans in popular areas like Gingin, Albany, and Esperance.
The state’s 55 coastal erosion hotspots, also require ongoing monitoring and management.
What initiatives will you advocate for to support local businesses, farmers, and tourism operators to grow economic opportunities in the Mid-West?
The Nationals WA are the architects of the Royalties for Regions (RfR) program, ensuring the 25% of mining royalties set aside for regional communities benefits those who drive our state’s prosperity. We will legislate protections to prevent any future government from gutting the program, as Labor has done over the past eight years.
To drive regional growth and development, we will establish a $1 billion Regional Headworks Fund, unlocking land for commercial, residential, and industrial projects outside the metro area—creating jobs and boosting local economies.
Supporting small and medium businesses is a key priority. The Nationals will raise the payroll tax threshold from $1 million to $1.3 million and cut tax rates. Additionally, we will introduce a 15% tax rebate for businesses with taxable wages below $4 million, tapering off up to $7.5 million—driving investment and job creation across Western Australia.
Merome Beard, Liberal Party, Mid-West
What inspired you to run in this election, and what unique qualities or experiences do you bring that make you the right choice to represent our community?
I’m running for my region because I’m driven to keep fighting to make it the best place you can bring up a family, work, do business in, and explore.
The Labor government has constantly failed on many fronts, and repeatedly turned their backs on people across regional WA. Whether it be law and order, education, health, housing, or access to basic community services, people in the regions have been more than forgotten, they have been neglected by the McGowan and Cook Labor governments.
I’m currently a Liberal member of State Parliament, representing the largest seat in WA, and believe me I’m well equipped to understand the challenges that come with navigating the diverse issues and landscapes across the Mid-West seat.
I’m born and bred in the regions – in fact, I’m a fourth generation local. I live in the electorate, and I live and breathe it. I understand what makes regional communities tick.
I’ve run my own small businesses for over 20 years, raised our kids who love their sense of community and represented Australia in sport – so I’ll never shy away from a challenge.
The good hardworking people who are trying to carve out a living off the land, often against the odds and bogged down with unnecessary red tape, deserve to be heard and deserve better.
How do you plan to improve road safety across our region?
The current road toll is out of control, and this Labor government have completely failed to have any impact on the death toll during their time in power. What they have done has been too little, too late.
To improve road safety across the regions there needs to be a holistic focus, including better road infrastructure, traffic management, driver education and recognising where industry is placing increased pressure on certain roads.
For many who are not experienced drivers on our regional roads, it can be dangerous if you don’t respect what you’re driving, where you’re driving and the road conditions. This is an everyday reality for me, I travel around 100,000 km across the electorate each year, and I’ve seen it all. So many people don’t know how to drive on country roads and fail to heed the warnings or understand the need to follow weather conditions.
We now need to focus on a re-balancing of priorities and investment into our regional roads and education programs.
How will you balance the need to protect our coastal environment against growing pressures from recreational activities and the perceived loss of lifestyle this will bring?
The protection of our coastal environment is important, as is the need to provide for recreational activities, including many that are a part of our way of life, so the approach needs to be tackled with care, consideration and balance. There’s no one stop fix. We don’t need more over-reach and restrictions — we need better management and better consultation processes.
The WA Liberals will invest in our coastline, so it stays safe and well-managed for future generations and so we can protect our coast while still allowing people to enjoy fishing, camping, and 4WDing. These activities are part of our way of life, and we need a common-sense approach to balance conservation with access.
Labor has failed to fund basic maintenance and facilities, leaving beaches, tracks, and campgrounds run-down and harder to access. Instead of fixing the problem, they have added more rules, red tape, and restrictions that lock people out.
What initiatives will you advocate for to support local businesses, farmers, and tourism operators to grow economic opportunities in the Mid-West?
Doing business in regional WA has become harder, with rising costs, unreliable power and internet, not enough housing, and a shortage of workers.
A WA Liberal Government will slash Payroll Tax, review Stamp Duty and insurance to make it easier for businesses to operate. We’ll work to improve reliability of power and communications while reducing bureaucracy to make doing business easier.
We’ll restore Royalties for Regions so it once again funds regional development, tourism, community projects, and economic growth — not just everyday services the government should already be funding.
On top of this, Labor has made major changes without proper consultation, creating confusion, unintended consequences and stress for communities and businesses.
The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act (ACH), the ban on live sheep exports, ramming firearm laws through Parliament and locking up national parks to mention a few. These decisions have hurt regional communities and impacted our way of life, creating uncertainty for businesses, families and industries that drive our economy.
A WA Liberal Government will listen, consult and put regional WA first.
Rod Henderson, Liberal Party, Swan Hills
What inspired you to run in this election, and what unique qualities or experiences do you bring that make you the right choice to represent our community?
The government is in a mess following eight years of Labor. As always when this happens, the Liberal Party has to clean it up. The government paints a rosy picture, but underneath we all feel the economy is struggling, and hospitals are in crisis. I want to see that we can be safe in our homes with tougher laws, and resourcing our police to get the job done. Red and green tape is strangling housing and adding to significant land and building costs.
I have been working in the community as a City of Swan councillor for nearly ten years. I understand the rural community. Getting things done takes forever. As a successful businessman, I know the value of money and that a mountain of government costs needs to be addressed.
What initiatives will you advocate for to support local businesses, farmers, and tourism operators to grow economic opportunities in Swan Hills?
Red and green tape across three levels of government is costing an additional 40%. That is unsustainable and needs to be addressed. I want to see small business thrive and to be able to employ local residents.
Farmers have had many of their rights restricted or erased. Live sheep exports is just one. We need to Keep the Sheep!
Bullsbrook is expanding at a rapid rate and the area needs basic infrastructure works. Recent concerns over water availability are just part of the broader community needs and needs to be progressed.
The WA tourism marketing budget spend needs to be reviewed so that our Midwest, Gidgegannup and Swan Valley get a fair share of much needed funding.
How do you plan to improve road safety across our region?
Road safety is not entirely about reducing speed limits. It’s about road design, education and many other factors, including inattentive or dangerous drivers. A recent ‘recalibration’ of Gt Northern Hwy 80 kph sections down to 70 kph has road users in uproar on social media. Main Roads response on why has been roundly ridiculed having come out of the blue with no consultation.
It is clear that WA is seeing significant growth. Bridges are needed over busy roads, better designs will allow for a commute with less delays and frustration. On country this is often the cause of dangerous overtaking with dire implications. More overtaking lanes on our highways would be good start.
What is your position on protecting critical habitat for endangered species like Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo, and would you support policies allowing regulated supplementary feeding?
There are more than 20 endangered bird species in WA. Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo have been in recent discussions because of the loss of non-native pine trees having been cut down. As a city councillor, I was critical of pristine banksia woodlands being proposed for urban development and voted against the application. Carnaby’s primary food sources are from multiple native tree species including but not exclusively to Marri and Banksia.
I am concerned that our tree canopy is being depleted by development and want to see better retention of mature trees by developers. This will help our native birds and help to cool developed areas.
Feeding of birds can cause them to become dependent on that food source. Another approach is to control development and to plant food source trees on public land that will then support growing bird populations.
