Liberals extend Kalgoorlie preselection deadline amid belief blackouts have fuelled anti-Labor sentiment

Power outages that plunged parts of the Goldfields into darkness for days have spurred a surge in interest in running for the WA Liberals in Kalgoorlie – prompting the party to push back the deadline for nominations. Kalgoorlie – held by Labor MP Ali Kent on a notional margin of 11.4 per cent – is one of around a dozen seats being heavily targeted by the Liberals at the 2025 state election Liberals local to the Goldfields believe the party’s prospects were given a major boost by widespread blackouts earlier this month triggered by a powerful summer storm that severed the single 220KV transmission line that services Kalgoorlie. In a letter sent last week – sighted by The West Australian – Kalgoorlie-Boulder Liberal Branch president Jodie Richardson and O’Connor Division president Michael McKenzie requested an extension to the January 31 deadline for prospective candidates to put up their hands. “As you are aware, the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community has been hit hard over the past week, with massive power and telecommunication outages and rising antisocial behavior causing significant issues for local businesses and families,” the letter said. “This crisis has exacerbated cost-of-living pressures being experienced by many. “The palpable desire for change in the Goldfields community has been further heightened by the appalling response by the current State Labor Government to the three-day power/telecommunications blackout, which only underscores Labor’s neglect of regional communities in WA.” The correspondences – to WA Liberal state director Simon Morgan – claims the blackouts were “the last straw” and had prompted Goldfields residents who were not currently party members to consider a tilt at politics. “In the wake of the past week’s events we have also been approached by Liberal-minded people in the community who now also wish to join the Party, both as members but also as potential candidates,” the letter said. “As a local branch, we would like the opportunity to engage more fully with these individuals when the immediate pressures of the past week’s crisis have dissipated. “Given the extraordinary events of the past week, we feel it is now appropriate that we pause the nomination process while our community seeks to recover. “Ultimately, this will enable us to work more effectively with the community to give members the best possible choice of candidates.” Mr Morgan confirmed the deadline for nominations in Kalgoorlie had been pushed back by a special meeting of the State Council. No new cut-off date has been set at this stage, but it is likely to fall in March. Nominations in seven other State and Federal seats close on Wednesday: Riverton, Dawesville, South Perth, Jandakot, Bateman, Forrest and Curtin. Riverton is expected to be won by Canning deputy mayor Amanda Spencer-Teo, with Owen Mulder – who is linked to conservative powerbroker Nick Goiran and contested Cockburn in 2021 – is understood to be in the box seat for Dawesville. Melville councilor Matt Woodall appears likely to recontest Bateman against in 2025, while Melville council colleague and schoolteacher Nicole Robins is expected to nominate for Jandakot after unsuccessfully running in Bicton in 2021. Former Senator Ben Small, who grew up in Bunbury and co-owns a bar in the South West town, is the favorite to replace Nola Marino in Forrest. South Perth is a three-horse race between barristers Hayley Cormann and Bronwyn Waugh and local mayor Greg Milner. Liberal preselectors in Curtin appear set to choose between former Uber executive Tom White and Afghanistan veteran and one-time journalist Matt Moran.