After officially being named WA Labor’s candidate for the state seat of Thornlie, Daniel Morrison-Bird is confident he is the right person to succeed Chris Tallentire.
Mr Tallentire, who has served in parliament for nearly 16 years, announced in February that he will not be seeking re-election in the upcoming state election.
Mr Morrison-Bird describes himself as a passionate, caring, hard-working family man with links across WA and hopes to positively influence the community if elected.
“I want to see a future where people can access all the services they need to thrive. Whether that be through secure local employment and training or continuing to improve our schools so our kids are accessing world-class education.” Mr Morrison-Bird said.
“That’s the future I want for our community, and I’m confident we will get there.”
At the 2021 state election, the electorate of Thornlie, which includes sections of the suburbs of Gosnells, Kenwick, Maddington, Martin and Thornlie, saw a 21.5 per cent swing in first-preference votes towards Labor.
Widely attributed to the McGowan government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, 74.2 per cent of voters in the area supported Chris Tallentire as their first preference, securing him a fourth term as MP.
Despite the overwhelming lead at the last election, Mr Morrison-Bird said he isn’t taking anything for granted.
“I take the view that no seat is ever safe. We saw that in the 2021 wipeout of the WA Liberals, and I think they took a lot of their seats for granted.” – Daniel Morrison-Bird
“I’m not leaving anything on the field, and I’m proud to be a part of the WA Labor team going into the State Election in 2025.”
As CEO of Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, a community organisation that delivers frontline community, youth, and homelessness services, Mr Morrison-Bird said he can empathise with many local households who are doing it tough.
“I have dedicated my working life to supporting those who need a hand up. Having worked as a CEO of a social services organisation for the last 14 years, I know that strong leadership is also compassionate leadership,” he said.
Chris Tallentire has been a prominent figure in the wider Thornlie community for nearly two decades.
As he prepares to step down, he has expressed his belief that the community will be in good hands under Mr Morrison-Bird’s potential leadership and is “delighted to endorse him.”
“Daniel has an empathetic nature and is a devoted family man. I know he will fight for the Thornlie electorate to have the highly connected transport infrastructure, upgraded public schools and easy access to the best of public health,” Mr Tallentire said.
“His background will be a huge boost to the electorate and the whole of Western Australia. Most importantly, he brings the values that are essential to being a good local member, namely compassion, a sense of justice and a respect for the community.”
With the state election just under six months away, Mr Morrison-Bird has already begun engaging with the community through door-knocking and attending local events to gauge their biggest concerns.
“I know families in Thornlie are feeling the impact of cost of living pressures,” he said.
“When I get out on the doors, it is the issue I hear the most, and people have been very open with me about their stories.”
The WA Liberal Party has endorsed previous candidate Mahesh Arumugam as the candidate for the Thornlie electorate.
Mr Arumugam is a former small business owner and project engineer with ten years of experience. He is now pursuing a PhD in fly ash recycling and previously ran as the 2021 WA Liberal candidate for Armadale, though he was unsuccessful.
As an immigrant to Australia, Mr Arumugam hopes his background will help him connect with Thornlie’s diverse community and better address its needs.
“Around Thornlie now, there are a lot of immigrants, so I think surely he’s missing some of the points and issues of the community,” Mr Arumugam said.
“It’s a good challenge for me since he (Morrison-Bird) is a new face; I feel like it’s a healthy challenge.”
Mr Arumugam believes that crime and the rising cost of living are the most significant issues currently affecting residents in the area and hopes to address them.
“These past two weeks, I’ve received several complaints about burglaries and car break-ins, and there is no proper or immediate action being taken,” he said.
“There is also a big pressure on rising prices, especially mortgages, but given eight years, what has the Labor government broadly done to address this.”
The 2025 WA state election is scheduled to be held on Saturday, March 8.
