WA Greens to use upper house muscle to legislate 2030 emissions target
The WA Greens say strengthening the government’s climate change legislation will be a top priority after they seize the balance of power in the upper house.
Before Saturday’s election, that saw Labor emphatically returned to power albeit with a reduced majority, Roger Cook’s government dominated both houses of parliament, giving it total control and unprecedented power to pass whatever laws it wanted to.
While it will easily dominate the lower house again the upper house, where there are 37 seats, is where it gets interesting.
WA Labor has already secured 15 seats, with projections showing one more likely, while the Liberals have 10 with another likely.
The Greens have three (with one more likely), the Nationals two — and One Nation, Legalise Cannabis and Australian Christians all picked up one.
Who will be in the upper house?
Joining current Greens WA Leader Brad Pettitt is journalist-turned-human rights advocate Sophie McNeill, and former Greens MLC Tim Clifford, who served from 2017 to 2021.
Mr Pettitt said the Greens would use their balance of power to push Labor on key issues, including climate action.
“We’re really keen to work with the Labor government to actually get some real action on climate, real action on housing and some of those things that have dropped off the agenda — we’ll put them back on,” he said.
“We’re going to intend to amend that legislation [Climate Change Bill] to put in a 2030 target to have a proper plan to bring emissions down.“
Mr Pettitt also said the party was confident its fourth ticket candidate, south coast local Jess Beckerling, would also get up and had already claimed victory on social media.
First-time member Ms McNeill said the only way to make Labor listen was to “get in there, take their seats, hold this balance of power and force them to the table” on climate and environmental issues.
The Nationals WA put newcomer Julie Freeman first on their ticket, a former primary school teacher and councillor on the former Mullewa Shire Council.
Julie Freeman will represent the Nationals in WA’s Legislative Council. (ABC News: Chris Lewis)
Joining her is Rob Horstman, Northampton Shire vice-president and previous upper house candidate.
As for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, the WA state leader Rodd Caddies was listed first and will pick up their lone seat.
Newcomer and WA state director of the Australian Christians Party Maryka Groenewald will pick up the party’s only seat.
Legalise Cannabis WA won one seat, filling it with Perth GP and party leader Brian Walker.
As for Labor, its 15 members include current Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis and Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson, as well as former Nedlands MLA turned MLC, Katrina Stratton.
Ms Stratton opted not to defend her Nedlands seat and joined the safe upper house Labor ticket last year, after winning the Liberal heartland seat for Labor for the first time in 2021.
The Liberals’ 10 members also includes current MLCs like Deputy Liberal Leader Steve Martin, as well as Steve Thomas, Nick Goiran, Tjorn Sibma and Neil Thomson.
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“Hopefully we’ll be able to protect industry on behalf of the Liberal Party and I hope the conservatives in the upper house will take that on as a real agenda going forward,” Steve Thomas told the ABC.
“The threat is the potential for the Greens to form a balance of power alliance with the Labor party and hold the state to ransom.”
What will it mean for Labor?
University of Notre Dame professor of politics Martin Drum said the healthier upper house composition would lead to “more scrutiny” on legislation and “different points of view”.
“We can expect more debate around legislation this time round, we can expect negotiation around different bills and we’ll see the Greens insert other demands in return for their support [to Labor],” he said.
Professor Drum said key issues like establishing a net zero target would likely be on the Greens’ agenda, as well as “greater environmental regulation” and “licences for gas explorations”.
Martin Drum says there will be more scrutiny on legislation with fewer Labor members in the Legislative Council. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)
Aside from working with the Greens, Mr Drum said there were other avenues for Labor.
“If Labor has Liberal support they’ll be able to get their legislation through and if it’s not contentious we expect that to be the case,” he said.
“There are other parties like Legalise Cannabis, One Nation and the Australian Christians who are all likely to receive a seat in parliament, and then there’s two Nationals MPs as well.”
Waiting on Freo
With the seat of Fremantle on a knife’s edge, the government has delayed forming cabinet until a result has been declared.
Professor Drum said the two-way contest between independent Kate Hulett and current Water Minister Simone McGurk could potentially see another cabinet position up for grabs.
“I think there’s definitely a minimum of three because there’s three retiring cabinet ministers,” he said.
“But there’s some talk there could be one or two more, it’s all sort of under negotiation at the moment with Simone McGurk surviving Fremantle, and if she doesn’t survive, there’s a vacancy straight away.”
Simone McGurk is locked in a tough battle with independent Kate Hulett to hold onto her seat of Fremantle. (ABC News: Cason Ho)
It’s understood Kimberley MP Divina D’Anna is likely to enter cabinet as the next Indigenous Affairs Minister, while Tony Buti is well placed to become the new Attorney General following the departure of John Quigley.
Several other MPs are also jostling for a position on the frontbench.
Check out our 2025 WA state election page for all of the ABC’s coverage.
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