Diagnosis of a Defence Deal and the Risks at Henderson

When a patient comes to my surgery with a sudden, unexplained symptom, my first instinct is to ask what changed. I look for the cause before I prescribe the cure. Recently, the Premier announced a significant shift for our coastline: the expansion of the Henderson site for warship maintenance. It is a decision that has appeared almost overnight, yet the side effects for Western Australians could be profound.

A missing consultation

In the medical profession, we value informed consent. You do not perform a procedure without explaining the risks and the benefits to the person on the table. In Parliament, I asked the government who they actually consulted before making this decision. The silence on this point is concerning. We see major infrastructure projects like the Westport container port moving ahead, but do we truly understand how military expansion alongside a commercial hub affects our security? If we are creating a consolidated hub for warship repairs, we are fundamentally altering the DNA of our local economy and our safety profile.

The government's response in the House was telling. They acknowledged an error in their own data regarding land transfers from state to federal control. If the administration cannot keep track of the land they are handing over, how can we trust their oversight of the larger strategic picture? We are seeing a blurring of lines between our state interests and federal military ambitions, often with very little transparency for the people who actually live here.

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The target on our coast

There is a darker symptom we must discuss. By turning our coastline into a primary maintenance hub for international military operations, we are effectively painting a target across Western Australia. In the event of a regional conflict, Henderson becomes more than just a shipyard: it becomes a strategic liability. This is not about being alarmist; it is about preventative medicine. We must ask if we are inviting a level of risk that our emergency services and local infrastructure are simply not equipped to handle.

A healthy society is one that looks at the long term prognosis. We are told these deals are good for jobs and good for the economy. While that may be true in a narrow sense, the cost of entry is a loss of sovereign control over our land and an increase in our collective anxiety. We are forward thinkers who believe in science, evidence, and the safety of our families. We deserve more than a rushed announcement and a corrected answer in the House.

The symptoms are clear, but the government seems hesitant to provide the full chart for us to review. I will continue to press for the data we need to ensure our state remains a safe place to live and work. You can read the full exchange from the Hansard record here and I encourage you to stand with us by joining Legalise Cannabis WA.