This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Labor Accuses Liberals Of Text Scare Campaign During WA Election

Shorten: "I wonder if Malcolm Turnbull will have a tantrum about these text messages."
More than 1.5 million West Australians vote in the 2017 state election on Saturday.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
More than 1.5 million West Australians vote in the 2017 state election on Saturday.

As Western Australians prepare to go to the polls on Saturday, new polling shows Labor leader Mark McGowan is likely to oust Colin Barnett as premier.

Around 1.6 million of the state's residents are due to cast their ballots on Saturday at more than 1,100 voting centres across WA.

Polling booths open at 8am local time and close at 6pm.

At midday, reports emerged of voters receiving "anti-Labor" text messages in the same vain as the"mediscare" messages during the 2016 federal election.

Fairfax media reports the Saturday's message says "FACT: Household bills will go up under a Labor government. Mark McGowan is not worth the risk."

Speaking in Perth Federal Opposition leader Bill Shorten said: "I wonder if Malcolm Turnbull will have a tantrum about these text messages."

Decision day comes as the latest Newspoll survey, released overnight, shows Labor leading the Liberal-National coalition by 54 per cent to 46 per cent in two-party-­preferred terms.

If the Newspoll is accurate it would lead to a decisive win for Labor, giving it 34 of the 59 seats in the lower house and finishing Barnett's eight year stint as Premier.

It also suggests that a controversial preference deal between the Liberals and One Nation has failed to deliver the desired boost to Barnett's government.

Among the key issues for West Australians voting on Saturday are the One Nation preference deal, the state's finances, the GST and residents potentially looking for a fresh start after two terms with Barnett at the helm.

It wouldn't be an election day without a democracy sausage, which was the silver lining for voters disillusioned by politics in their state.

ALSO ON HUFFPOST AUSTRALIA

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.