Murray slams big-spending Libs

Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray has lashed out at the Liberal Party spending what he estimated to be $250,000 trying to win his seat in the March State Election.

Mr Murray said the Liberals splashed out more than triple his campaign budget of $80,000 on election debutante Jaimee Motion’s campaign.

He said he could not match the money the Liberals spent on letter drops, pre-recorded messages, signs and advertising in the electorate.

“But when you spend as much money as the Liberal Party did in that election, it makes me sad that we are heading down the American path,” he said.

“That is, it is about how much money you have got and how much you can put out there, when quite possibly some of the kids around my area could have used that money to get a bed for the night.

The Liberals spent $1.13 million on radio, TV and print advertisements between January 27 and the election on March 9, compared to Labor’s $620,100.

In the dying days of the election campaign, the Liberals embarked on a $100,000-a-day advertising blitz to win over voters.

Last month Labor State secretary Simon Mead told The West Australian he estimated the Liberals had spent $8 million on the election campaign to Labor’s $2 million.

The Liberal Party’s State director Ben Morton said the party would make no comment on the issue other than to say it would submit its required election spending disclosure return to the WA Election Commission.

He said the Commission would then make the spending public.

Mr Murray called for a cap on campaign spending so candidates and sitting members did not have to spend time fundraising.

“Money and money alone should not be how the game is played — candidates should not have to go looking for $250,000 just to have a crack,” he said.

Mr Murray said some of the Liberal’s campaign tactics, including Premier Colin Barnett’s pre-recorded phone calls, had hurt his opposition’s campaign.

“This recorded message in the last week of the election was not taken to kindly by the electorate, it provided me with vital votes from unexpected sources,” he said.