Labor campaigner concerned at Gillard effect

Updated March 04, 2013 20:22:32

The WA election hasn't even been held, but the finger pointing has already begun.

And it seems Labor's fingers are all pointing one way, right at Julia Gillard.

The Prime Minister is finding it hard to please her colleagues in Western Australia.

They politely asked her not to visit for a while, at least not within cooee of the state election.

While many would be offended by such an approach, the PM obliged and filled her diary with a trip to western Sydney instead.

You'd think her WA Labor colleagues would be grateful, but no.

It seems the Prime Minister's extended visit to Rooty Hills is causing just as much angst among Labor candidates as if she was actually in Perth.

The more publicity Ms Gillard gets, the more their hearts sink; the more they feel they are fighting a battle that just can't be won.

It's well accepted that federal Labor's brand is especially poisonous in Western Australia.

The WA branch recognised this a while back and changed all of its branding and logos to create some distance.

Labor leader Mark McGowan looks decidedly awkward at the mere mention of the Prime Minister's name.

But just how poisonous is federal Labor's brand in WA?

One Labor campaign manager has told the ABC the party is bracing for a uniform swing against it of around 5 per cent and puts most of that down to voter dislike of Ms Gillard.

If that's accurate, Labor would lose eight seats to the Liberal Party; Gosnells, West Swan, Collie-Preston, Joondalup, Balcatta, Morley, Forrestfield and Albany.

According to Antony Green's ABC election calculator, Labor would be left with just 18 seats out of 59 in the Legislative Assembly.

The next Labor premier would most likely have to wait until 2021 for the privilege.

State fight

Mr McGowan has been at pains to point out that it's a state election, fought on state issues including transport and government fees and charges.

"Other people will try and draw us off onto federal issues and pretend that it's a federal election," he has said.

"The federal election is on September 14.

"At that point in time, people can vote for Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott or whoever they like," he said during the one and only televised leaders' debate.

In other words, 'Don't take it out on us'.

The Liberal Party has sensed an opportunity to send Labor into exile and has finetuned its TV advertising for the final week of the campaign.

Authorised by the Liberal Party's state director, Ben Morton, the advertisement seeks to blur the line between state and federal elections - exactly what Mr McGowan doesn't want.

"This election, take a good look at what's under the name of every candidate. If it says Labor, then think again.

"Because no matter what Labor says locally, if they're part of Labor, they're part of the Labor mess," and so the advertisement goes.

On Sunday we can expect the usual post-election analysis.

There will be nothing unusual about the PM being the post-election suspect.

Topics: elections, perth-6000

First posted March 04, 2013 18:53:50