West Australian Labor leader Mark McGowan has officially launched his party's state election campaign, declaring it a "referendum on priorities" and claiming he was more in touch with the community's real needs.
Mr McGowan has been unofficially campaigning for the March 9 election for about a month, but on Monday, he finally made the official announcement with his family by his side.
"I think the time for the phoney campaign is over. I think the time for the real campaign has now begun," he told reporters.
"It will be about who has the right priorities for the future of Western Australia."
In a long speech to the media, Mr McGowan again labelled Premier Colin Barnett arrogant and out of touch, and criticised the government's focus on inner city projects.
"Mr Barnett's priorities and his instincts are all wrong," he said.
"His priorities revolve around the central business district in Perth and how many plaques he can get with his name on it in the centre of the city."
Mr McGowan said under Mr Barnett's premiership the cost of living pressures had increased to a point where it was hurting families.
He said Mr Barnett had also increased state debt and had an obsession with privatisation.
By contrast, Labor's priorities were focused on the suburbs and towns where people live, Mr McGowan said.
“As a father of three young children who lives in Rockingham, I understand the priorities of ordinary Western Australians are different to those of Premier Colin Barnett and his government."
He said Labor will focus on ensuring access to better health services and reducing waiting lists, education including literacy and numeracy, and public transport services through the Metronet rail system for which the costing has not yet been revealed.
Labor has also pledged to help ease cost of living pressures, enhance community safety with more police officers and stations, to keep the regions strong, and broaden the state's economy so WA is not over-reliant on the mining and resources industry.
Mr McGowan said Labor would outline major policy commitments in the coming weeks.
