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The West Live: Labor want to ‘decapitate’ Liberals, leader Zak Kirkup claims

Charlotte Elton & Ben O'SheaThe West Australian
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Zak Kirkup had already conceded deafeat in the WA election.
Camera IconZak Kirkup had already conceded deafeat in the WA election. Credit: Daniel Wilkins/Justin Benson-Cooper

Liberal leader Zak Kirkup has warned that Labor want to “decapitate” his party at the coming State election by taking control of both houses of the West Australian Parliament.

The plea to voters comes after The West published a bombshell interview with Kirkup in which he conceded: “2021 is not my time.”

Speaking on The West Live this morning, Mr Kirkup again warned of the danger of a Liberal wipe-out.

“One party with total control is a very dangerous thing for the future Western Australia,” he told podcast host Ben O’Shea.

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“The Labor Party is gunning for each and every one of our members, wherever they are, they are coming for me hard. They’re coming for our members of Parliament hard.”

“[They’re] trying to make sure that they stop as many of our candidates as possible because they want total control.They want to get away with any decision that they make without accountability.”

Preliminary straw polling at early voting centres yesterday revealed up to 70 per cent of early voters are backing Premier Mark McGowan’s Labor party.

A recent Newspoll published by The Weekend Australian showed Mark McGowan’s Labor Government leading 68 to 32 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

Mr Kirkup said WA’s democratic processes were themselves at stake.

“The Labor Party wants to effectively decapitate the Liberal Party,” he claimed.

“I have to be honest with the people of why I’m not going to ever treat them like mugs.

“And I fear for the future of our democracy, which is why we’re going to fight so hard.”

The Liberal-National coalition gained a majority of both the Upper and Lower Houses in 2013, but Mr Kirkup insisted the two parties held each other in check.

“There’s always been another party,” he said.

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