Councillor seeks Libs’ seat

Shire of Esperance Cr Shelley Payne says the Liberal Party has turned its back on WA country towns.

Ms Payne will be running for the seat of O’Connor for the Australian Labor Party against sitting Liberal MP Rick Wilson, Nationals candidate John Hassell and Greens candidate Nelson Blake Gilmour.

Speaking for the first time as a candidate, she said the Liberal Party took for granted the loyalty of regional families. She said she was determined to build a stronger future for regional WA.

“It is time for change in regional WA, and changing your vote is the best way to grab Canberra’s attention,” she said.

“We need better roads, more funding for health services, education opportunities and to take meaningful action against climate change.

“I want to be a part of a government that listens to country people and empowers them to innovate and contribute to driving their own future.”

She said she would fight to reverse $14 billion in Federal cuts to public schools — cuts which had a particular impact on students in country Australia. Ms Payne is married to shark expert and abalone diver Marc Payne, the man contracted to operate the State Government’s non-lethal drum-line trial in the South West.

She was elected to the Shire of Esperance council in 2017.

She won her seat on the with 1344 votes, the highest number of votes any councillor received during that local government election.