The federal election is two weeks away but you wouldn’t know it in Fremantle—political talk is all-but non-existent.

With most issues being of a general nature—the economy, asylum seekers, the environment—the Herald decided to ask the candidates for the three main candidates what their plans were specifically for the Fremantle electorate.

Liberal MATTHEW HANSSEN tried to get in a dig about the high cost of processing asylum seekers and how the money would be better spent elsewhere, but it wasn’t specific enough. That said, he provided a helpful wish list of local things he’d like to see:

• 20,000 new houses in the area that provide a “hand up” not a “hand out”. Get people into accommodation, off drugs and alcohol and into work or education.

“I will fight to get the old traffic bridge replaced, a freight rail line built from North Fremantle and better highway and freeway infrastructure in the area to help move people and freight around. I would also like to see the Esplanade train station open up again with a possible link to Coogee. Upgrade of the passenger facilities at Freo Port.

• Fight to keep Fremantle emergency department open.

• Funding provision to enhance/expand tourism for Fremantle central.

The Greens’ JORDON STEELE-JOHN talked up the party’s light rail dream: “The Greens have a plan for light rail throughout the metropolitan area, including Fremantle—a far more comprehensive plan than that touted by Premier Barnett,” he jabbed. The Greens’ Clean Energy Roadmap would deliver support for the Fremantle Community Windfarm, the potential South Fremantle solar farm, and the Carnegie wave energy project in Fremantle.

“Our Greenways initiative would protect Beeliar wetlands and all Fremantle’s remaining urban bushland, and connect it with a network of paths—within a coordinated replanting corridor strategy, so that all Fremantle residents live five minutes walk from an urban greenway.”

Mr Steele-John did try to rabbit on about extra health funding but we figured it was too general to make the cut as a local initiative.

Labor’s MELISSA PARKE, who has held the seat since 2007, spruiked what Labor had done in the electorate recently—Fremantle headspace, new Coogee surf lifesaving club, new Hilton community centre, new Fire and Emergency Service volunteer HQ in Cockburn, mixed housing project on Queen Victoria Street, more than $4 million in Freo heritage projects, a $12m interest-free loan for the Italian village expansion, $10m for Carnegie’s Wave Power project, Freo Men’s Shed funding, the return of Cantonment Hill to local ownership—but didn’t have anything to say about future plans specifically for the electorate.

by BRENDAN FOSTER