The consequences of that are now landing squarely on regional communities like ours. Successive Labor governments have made a deliberate choice to keep key energy assets in public hands, and that decision is paying dividends. The Court Liberal government’s sale of WA’s freight rail network has placed increasing pressure on regional communities, particularly our farmers. And when private operators make decisions that affect entire communities, governments are left to manage the fallout rather than prevent it. When they remain in public hands, they can be managed for the long-term benefit of all West Australians, not just the bottom line.