Labor frontbenchers on the move
Federal Labor is blitzing WA in the lead-up to next week's Senate election, with a parade of shadow ministers flying into Perth to campaign.
Shadow education minister Kate Ellis skipped Parliament yesterday to visit Boyare Primary School in Mirrabooka, where she criticised the Federal Government for failing to protect school funding in the wake of the Barnett Government's $180 million cuts to education.
Ms Ellis said Labor would introduce a legislative amendment to Parliament that would tie Commonwealth school funding to assurances that States would not cut their education budgets.
"We need to have a strong Senate that can make sure that changes are made to Federal law to prevent these sorts of cuts," Ms Ellis said.
Shadow infrastructure minister Anthony Albanese held a news conference at the Tonkin Highway interchange yesterday, putting the spotlight on the Government's spending on roads.
Brendan O'Connor, Labor's employment spokesman, campaigned in Perth on Tuesday and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was in town on Sunday for Labor's campaign launch.
Labor's Senator Louise Pratt, who lost her seat in the disputed re-count, said she felt the Labor Party was the only party taking the WA Senate poll seriously.
A Liberal Party spokesman said many Federal ministers would visit WA before the Senate election.
