‘I wonder if Malcolm Turnbull will have a tantrum about these text messages,’ says opposition leader Bill Shorten

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Labor has blasted the Liberal party over text messages warning against voting for Mark McGowan in Saturday’s West Australian election.

The texts sent to voters read: “FACT: Household bills will go up under a Labor Government. Mark McGowan is not worth the risk.”

It’s not clear who sent the texts, but that didn’t stop the federal opposition leader, Bill Shorten, from pointing the finger at the Liberal party.

“I wonder if Malcolm Turnbull will have a tantrum about these text messages,” Shorten said in Perth, where he is supporting McGowan.

“They’re not above using the very tactics they criticised Labor for.”

The text have been compared to the “Mediscare” text sent during last year’s federal election.

Labor and unions produced election material resembling Medicare cards and ran an election day campaign involving mobile text messages, which appeared to come from the health agency.

WA election: polls point to Labor as Barnett warns of return to ‘Dullsville’ Read more

The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, described that campaign as “fraudulent” and unmatched in its deceit.



An Australian federal police investigation did not find any breach of the law.

Polls show McGowan is on track to lead WA Labor to a decisive win over the two-term Barnett Liberal government.

But the state’s premier, Colin Barnett, said he could defy the odds and win a historic third term because he believed one in five voters decided on the day.

Two newspaper polls published on Saturday, by ReachTEL and Newspoll, put Labor under McGowan comfortably ahead 54-46 on two-party-preferred terms, in line with other polls.

Barnett voted with his wife, Lyn, in his Cottesloe electorate, one of Perth’s wealthiest suburbs, saying he was optimistic after spending the past few days claiming Labor-backed union thugs would influence a McGowan government.

“I don’t brace for a loss I always prepare for a win,” he told reporters. “The significant thing is that maybe one in five voters are only making up their mind today as they turn up to polling booths.

“I hope people really think very carefully about their vote today, remember it is a vote for four years not a vote for just for next week.”

McGowan said the party had done everything it could to win power, as he cast his vote in the state election.

“I think we’ve done our absolute best to present a good alternative to the people of Western Australia,” he said after casting his vote in Rockingham with his young family.

“It’s now up to the voters, but I certainly hope this evening we see a change of government because I think that’s what Western Australia needs.”