What’s in the federal budget for Western Australia?

It’s widely believed Western Australia is a crucial, potentially decisive battleground in the coming federal election as Labor seeks to retain government.

So it came as little surprise Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was on multiple Perth radio stations just hours before the government handed down its last budget before the federal election, pushing the message he has the state’s best interests at the front of his mind.

‘I’m pro-WA’: Albanese

“I’m pro-WA as you know … and my next visit there will be my 30th as prime minister,” Mr Albanese told Nine Radio.

“We support WA jobs, we support WA industry, and that’s what we’ll continue to do,” he said

Anthony Albanese says his next visit to WA will be his 30th since becoming PM. (ABC News: Mark Moore)

Even with the budget headlines dominated by tax cuts for people across the country, the importance of WA in an election that’s fast approaching leads to the question — what’s in it for WA?

Softening live export blow

Phasing out of live sheep exports has been a controversial issue in much of WA, and the government is committing $43.5 million over five years — including $16.3 million in the coming financial year — aimed at fostering wellbeing and strengthening community resilience as part of the support package.

Keep the Sheep Sign — The Keep the Sheep campaign was started in response to the federal governments ban on live sheep exports. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)

The budget also includes funding for WA roads in both Perth and the regions.

The Commonwealth is contributing $350 million to upgrade the Kwinana Freeway, which it says will improve safety and ease congestion, as well as $14.4 million this financial year and $37.3 million next year for road infrastructure in the state’s north.

A directional sign pointing to Rockingham on Perth's Kwinana Freeway — The Kwinana Freeway will be widened between Roe Highway and Mortimer Road. (ABC News: Gian De Poloni)

There are a number of budget measures focused on education, and in terms of WA there’s an additional $1 million to support the operation of the new Manjali Studio School, a secondary boarding school for First Nations students in the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges area of the Kimberley region.

As part of its Supporting Social Cohesion initiative, the government will also invest $2 million for upgrades to the education centre of the Holocaust Institute of Western Australia, based in suburban Yokine.

There’s a further $20 million this financial year towards the construction of the Aboriginal Cultural Centre on the banks of the Swan River near the Perth Concert Hall.

Roadwork signs telling drivers to slow down as a long line of cars navigate through traffic cones. — The budget includes funding for roads in both Perth and the regions. (ABC South West: Anthony Pancia)

The government has also committed $19.6 million over three years to extend three specialist trauma-informed sexual assault legal services pilots in WA, Victoria and the ACT, and to expand the pilots nationally.

In WA the program is provided by the Women’s Legal Service, Ruah Community Services and the Aboriginal Family Legal Service.

The Commonwealth will provide $20 million over the next two years towards the Swan Active Ellenbrook facility, being built adjacent to the new Ellenbrook station.

Budget ‘a really cruel hoax’

The opposition was keen to tell WA voters what it thought of the government’s budget, hitting the airwaves to lay into the document.

lady talking to reporters in corridor, in front of a microphone, holding glasses — Jane Hume says the opposition’s budget reply will have much more to offer struggling Australians. (ABC News: ian cutmore)

Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume told ABC Local Radio WA the budget didn’t address the real issues people across the country were facing.

“This budget was clearly aimed not at the next five years but the next five weeks, and the centrepiece of the budget is really a cruel hoax,” she said.