Prime Minister Anthony Albanese set to bring entire Cabinet back to WA in August

The Prime Minister will be bringing his entire Cabinet to Perth in August, making it the second meeting in the State this year. But Anthony Albanese has failed to stick to his post-election promise of holding both Cabinet meetings in WA in his first 12 months as Prime Minister due to the death of the Queen and then contracting COVID. The West Australian can reveal Mr Albanese and his ministers will come together in Perth on August 28, where they will also meet community members and participate in events with local MPs. He has also accepted an invitation to speak at The West Australian’s Leadership Matters breakfast the following day on August 29. Mr Albanese called his first meeting — held in Port Hedland in February — a “huge success” after meeting with about 150 community members and First Nations leaders to discuss the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, housing issues, school retention, youth crime gripping remote communities, and the scraping of the cashless debit card. “I’m looking forward to returning to Perth in August to host a second Cabinet meeting,” Mr Albanese told The West. “Taking the Cabinet out of Canberra and into the community means ministers can get out and about to hear directly from people and community groups about what matters to them most. I’m looking forward to returning to WA soon to speak at a Leadership Matters breakfast and attend Telethon.” The Labor leader pledged to hold two Cabinet meetings in WA in his first year in office to show his recognition of the State that delivered him the keys to the Lodge. At the time, he said he had chosen Perth and the engine room of the national economy — WA’s Pilbara region — to hold the separate meetings at. “I think it’s important for people to recognise that Western Australia isn’t just Perth and I’ve always done that,” he told The West in his first sit-down interview as PM. “I want to take the entire Cabinet to one of the regions. It’ll be Port Hedland or Karratha or another of those important regions. I’ve consistently as Labor leader travelled to those regions but over a long period of time as well.” But just one day out from his one-year anniversary in the country’s top job, he has been unable to live up to his word. The Pilbara meeting was first locked in for September but had to be cancelled last minute out of respect for the Queen’s death. Then in December, Mr Albanese tested positive for COVID for the second time in the year. Mr Albanese has an ironclad commitment to visit WA at least 10 times a year. So far, he has visited 12 times in the past 12 months with five of those being this year — one was just a stopover on his way to India in March. He will also attend Telethon again in October.