WA voices left out of crucial economic and security cabinet committees

West Australian

a day ago

West Australians have been overlooked on two of Anthony Albanese's most important cabinet committees on the economy and national security, despite the State's key role in both areas.
In a bureaucratic Brisbane line, there are no WA representatives in the Prime Minister's new make-up of the powerful expenditure review and national security cabinet committees.
That's despite Western Australia's resources riches, critical minerals and Indian Ocean frontier being vital to the difficult issues the Albanese Government is confronting in its second term, including the energy transition and geostrategic uncertainties.
Membership of the cabinet committees was made public last week. There have been minimal changes to the two bodies.
Mr Albanese chairs the expenditure review committee with Treasurer Jim Chalmers as his deputy on the group that makes budget decisions.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Health Minister Mark Butler and Infrastructure Minister Catherine King all keep their ERC positions.
Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth has joined in place of Michelle Rowland, after the latter switched portfolios from communications to Attorney-General.
Daniel Mulino is also a new face at the table after he took over as assistant treasurer following the political retirement of Stephen Jones.
Mr Albanese and Mr Marles lead the national security committee.
Its only new face this term is Ms Rowland, who replaces former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus.
The NSC membership also includes Senator Wong, Dr Chalmers, Senator Gallagher, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy.
Mr Albanese has repeatedly spoken of the importance of WA to Australia's economic and national security and is also acutely conscious of the State's contribution to his own political position.
West Australian voters sent 11 Labor MPs to Canberra at the May election, out of 16 seats.
'The Albanese Labor Government is very proud of our increased WA representation at the election,' a spokesman for the Prime Minister said.
'That means more voices in Canberra speaking up for the great state of Western Australia. Importantly, that has seen greater representation in Cabinet, where decisions are made.'
Anne Aly took on responsibility for small business, multicultural affairs and foreign aid after the election and joined Resources Minister Madeleine King in cabinet, doubling WA's representation.
Shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie said it was 'ridiculous' that neither was on 'the two most important decision-making bodies' in the government.
'We should have someone on the ERC because we generate so much revenue for the country. And we should have someone on NSC because we are the home of AUKUS which cannot fail but is at risk at the moment,' he said.
'We need a bigger voice, and the Prime Minister is ignoring us.'
Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable said the resources portfolio was increasingly important in the nation's security discussions and that should be reflected at the highest echelons.
'Mining should be front and centre in government decision-making, with the resources minister included in the national security committee given the sector's vital role in strengthening economic resilience and supporting national security,' she said.
She pointed to the sector's enormous logistics capability, supported by connected infrastructure and strategic assets.
The head of Defence's national support division, Major-General Jason Walk,
warned last week that China's stranglehold
on critical minerals supply chains left Australia vulnerable and urged greater military cooperation with the resources sector to prepare for conflict.
Scott Morrison came under fire in 2021 for not including Melissa Price, then the defence industry minister, in his national security committee, when the number of West Australians on the powerful grouping dropped from three to one.
By the end of the Coalition's time in office, Michaelia Cash, then attorney-general, was the only WA representative on either cabinet committee, with none on the ERC.
The Brisbane line was a WWII strategy — rejected by WA-based prime minister John Curtin — to prioritise defence of the heavily populated east coast areas south of Brisbane.