The battle for Tangney is heating up as Labor’s first-term MP Sam Lim prepares to defend his seat against Liberal candidate Howard Ong, a local IT business owner, in next year’s federal election.
Previously considered a safe Liberal seat for decades, in the 2022 federal election, Mr Lim, a former dolphin trainer and WA Police officer, ousted Liberal Ben Morton, a serving minister in the Morrison Government, with a 10.1 per cent swing to Labor in first preference votes.
Mr Lim hopes to secure a second term and said he is determined to continue serving the community, particularly by addressing the global cost of living crisis.
“It is the honour of my life to represent the people of Tangney in our nation’s Parliament,” Mr Lim said.
“Delivering cost of living relief is the Albanese Labor Government’s number one priority. Every taxpayer has received a tax cut and every household $300 in power bill relief, with those in WA receiving a further $400 from the State Labor Government.”
An electoral boundary redistribution means Tangney will lose the suburbs of Wilson, Ferndale, and Lynwood while gaining more of Kardinya and Palmyra on its eastern side.
With these changes, the Liberal’s Howard Ong is hopeful he can overcome Labor’s 2.4 per cent margin and reclaim the seat, which was held by the Liberals for 38 years.
Ong, who moved to Australia with his family 28 years ago, said he believes his deep ties to the Tangney community, built through local schools, sports clubs, and community groups, make him well-placed to serve it and already regards it as a great honour to be given the chance of possibly representing the people of Tangney in Parliament.
“Australia has gifted me a home, a career, good friends and a community. I want to give back,” Ong said.
“Through my service, I hope to inspire others to do the same – to give back to this great country what it has so generously endowed us.”
Ong believes the Coalition being in power for 9 of the past 11 years is irrelevant and that a party offering ‘real solutions’ and ‘good governance’ is what truly matters.
“In three short years, Labor has mismanaged our economy, our immigration, our energy policy; shut out young people from the housing market; and divided Australia. This is not an Australia I want my children and grandchildren to grow up in,” Ong said.
“We have a cost-of-living crisis and a housing crisis. Families in Tangney are doing it tough; small businesses are doing it tough; and young people are finding it hard to own their own homes.”
Labor’s Sam Lim said he hopes to have the support of the Tangney community once again and believes his track record has demonstrated his commitment to their needs.
“Since being elected the Member for Tangney in 2022, I have also delivered on commitments, including a $1 million contribution to the Perth Hindu Temple in Canning Vale so it can expand; $10 million to better protect and preserve the Canning, Southern and Wungong Rivers; a range of investments in upgrading facilities in local schools and more than $120,000 in volunteer grants for 46 not-for-profit organisations across Tangney.”
“The Opposition has no vision for Tangney and took the seat for granted for 30 years. While I’ve been out door knocking, people have told me it’s the first time they have ever been door knocked by their local Federal MP.”
The 2025 federal election is expected to be held on or before Saturday, 17 May.
