Mid West representatives sworn into Legislative Council as new Upper House begins

The Mid West’s members of the Legislative Council have been sworn in to WA’s Upper House, with two of them taking their seats for the first time.

Nationals pair Julie Freeman and Rob Horstman, from Mullewa and Northampton respectively, were voted in after the party earned two seats in the Legislative Council.

After initially waiting 39 days for their political fates to be confirmed, the pair were officially sworn in as MPs on Thursday.

Their election to Parliament marks the first time either of them has been elected at the State level.

Speaking to the Geraldton Guardian earlier this year, Ms Freeman said her living in Mullewa led to her path to politics, saying the area has been neglected for years.

She said the condition of Geraldton-Mt Magnet Road was “disgraceful”, saying it was one of a number of forgotten projects.

“That would never be allowed to happen in an urban area, can you imagine a road being left in that condition in Geraldton? Never mind Perth,” she said.

“The hospital redevelopment in Mullewa which was all going ahead in 2017, we are still waiting in 2025.

“We are out of sight, out of mind, and completely forgotten.”

Mr Horstman’s drive came through volunteering during cyclone Seroja, where he said strong leadership was needed when the Government wasn’t doing enough to assist.

He said he was humbled to earn a spot in Parliament.

“I see my role as being one of fostering a government that truly represents all Western Australians, regardless of where they live,” he said.

“While I am deeply committed to advocating for the unique needs and interests of our rural and regional communities I am also conscious that I represent constituents all over Western Australia and I will certainly have this in mind when I take the floor of Parliament.”

Meanwhile, earning a second term was Labor’s Sandra Carr, who in 2021 was elected as a member for the Agricultural Region.

After the Upper House changed to encompass the whole State rather than specific areas, Ms Carr was re-elected after being 14th on her party’s ticket.

She said last week she was keen on stepping up for Geraldton, after Labor lost its Lower House representative in Lara Dalton.

“I have predominantly kept a very light touch in Geraldton because that was (Ms Dalton’s) domain, and that means that I will be working a lot harder in this region as well, which is a challenge that I am up for and really looking forward to stepping into,” she said.