Greens WA Senator Dorinda Cox visits Albany to campaign for seat with local candidate Giz Watson

Greens WA Senator Dorinda Cox has urged Great Southern voters to make their “once-in-a-generation vote” count as the finish line for the May 21 Federal election nears. Ms Cox was named Greens Senator for WA — replacing Rachel Siewert after 16 years in Parliament — in 2021 and became the State’s first female Aboriginal senator. During a visit to Albany and Denmark last week, Ms Cox met with constituents as she continued her campaign to retain her Senate seat, also throwing her support behind Greens WA candidate Giz Watson, who will contest the seat of O’Connor held by Liberal MP Rick Wilson. Ms Cox said this election was a “once-in-a-generation vote”, with 400,000 young people registered to vote for the first time. “We hope when they go to vote they think about the next generation, my children, my grandchildren, who want action on climate,” Ms Cox said. “They want safe and affordable housing and they want to be able to get their teeth fixed and they want to be able to get mental health access back in Medicare.” Ms Watson said a key issue being raised by voters in Albany was the need for swift action on the housing crisis. “What I am hearing very clearly is housing is a critical issue,” she said. “I think it is extraordinary that we have people that are living out of cars and really doing it tough, and especially as the cold weather comes. “Neither of the other political entities, whether it’s the Coalition or the ALP, understand or take seriously that housing is a responsibility of the Government, it is a human right, and if people can’t have adequate, safe, affordable housing then they can’t do virtually anything else. “We say we need to invest quickly and deeply in affordable housing.” Ms Cox said priorities for the Greens heading into the election were action on climate change, the cost of living, safe, affordable housing, and getting mental health and dental care covered by Medicare. The Greens would aim to build one million public and community homes across Australia and 118,000 in WA if elected, and place a cap on rental properties. “We can’t have investment properties getting out of hand and charging hundreds of dollars that are just out of reach for the average renter,” she said. “Rental caps is alongside the homeownership and access to safe, affordable housing for all Australians, and particularly West Australians. “And right here in Albany we should be making that a priority. “We can only do that if we are in the balance-of-power arrangement in the Federal Parliament, and we have a real potential for that to happen. “Particularly in this election we are looking at a hung Parliament and we hope that we are in that balance-of-power negotiation looking at what those priorities are and where we can best fill them.” O’CONNOR CANDIDATES IN BALLOT ORDER Stan Kustrin, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Shaneane Weldon, Australian Labor Party Giz Watson, The Greens WA Isaac Middle, Australian Federation Party Morris Bessant, Western Australia Party Justin Moseley, Australian Christians Tracy Anne Tirronen, United Australia Party Brenden Barber, The Great Australian Party Rick Wilson, Liberal Party