Building strong local communities will be a key focus for Federal Member for Hasluck Ken Wyatt if he is re-elected on July 2.
Mr Wyatt said he aimed to do this by working on sport and recreational facilities and addressing the level of loneliness within the community.
“When I door knock I meet people who do not talk to another human being during the week – all they have is their televisions,” he said.
“In aged care 37 per cent of people do not have a visitor.
“What I really want to do is get people to think about the lonely people and get the community to collectively reach out to them because none of us were ever meant to be alone.”
Mr Wyatt said this meant raising awareness about loneliness and encouraging community groups that reached out to individuals.
He would also fight for a new baseball stadium in Thornlie, despite it no longer being in his seat following changes to the electoral boundaries.
“It doesn’t matter that it won’t be part of Hasluck, I made a promise and I’m going to keep that promise of fighting for them,” he said.
“I’ve had an incredible opportunity to watch games and I want to fight for a new stadium for them so they can bring teams from Asia down here to play against Perth Heat.
“I’ve been talking to ambassadors from two countries who are keen to be part of anything that we do in the future and I’ve been talking to the American Baseball League.
“I just think it would be great for the whole City of Gosnells to have what I hope will become an iconic baseball park in WA.”
He also wanted to tackle ice after seeing the impact the drug had on families.
“I went to a forum two Saturdays ago and I heard families with broken hearts talking about what ice has done to them and that really impacted on me,” he said.
“I took (Justice) Minister Michael Keenan to Shalom House and I came away with a strong resolution that I want to see better pathways for children out of primary school and into secondary but I also want to see a better outcome for families where ice won’t be the thing that destroys them.”
Mr Wyatt has held the seat since 2010, when he became the first indigenous member of the House of Representatives.
In 2013 he became the first Member for Hasluck to be elected for a second term and last year he became the first indigenous person to be promoted to the front bench when he was named Assistant Health Minister.
He said his biggest achievement for Hasluck since being elected was the $1.4 billion he helped deliver for roadworks.
