Conservatives fear Upper House reform could be on McGowan agenda as WA election looms
ABCPremier Mark McGowan has repeatedly declined to rule out reforms to WA's electoral system if he wins the state election, prompting Opposition claims he is preparing to "ambush" regional voters after the poll. Key points: Conservative parties claim Labor plans to reduce regional representation Mark McGowan has declined to rule out changes to the Upper House Analysts warn changes could be politically costly Spearheaded by the WA Nationals, opposition parties have claimed Labor is planning to pursue a shake-up of State Parliament's Upper House electoral arrangements to reduce the weighting given to regional seats. South West Liberal MLC Steve Thomas dismissed the comments and argued the Premier's unwillingness to rule out Upper House electoral changes betrayed the Government's intentions. Veteran political commentator Peter Kennedy said the Upper House was "crying out for reform" but the Government's language reflected the fact it was "a very sensitive issue, especially during an election campaign".