After weeks of pressure from the Opposition, the Cook Labor Government has finally been
dragged to the table to help families attend WA’s premier agricultural event – but what they’ve delivered is a half-hearted, half-price ticket scheme that sells WA agriculture short.
In Budget Estimates, the Opposition exposed that Labor had allocated zero dollars for
children’s entry to the 2025 Perth Royal Show – a disgraceful retreat from the free entry policy of previous years. Today’s announcement of “half-price” tickets for children under 16, students and concession-card holder accompanying a full paying adult, is nothing more than a weak backpedal.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mr Lachlan Hunter MP, said the Premier’s decision proves Labor only acts when they’re caught out.
“This is a Labor Government that found $217 million for a Perth racetrack nobody asked for – yet had to be shamed into offering even a token gesture for families to attend the Royal Show,” Mr Hunter said.
“Half-price tickets are too little, too late. WA families are struggling with record cost-of-living pressures and Labor still refuses to match previous investments – including their own election-year cash grab that gave kids free entry.”
The Royal Show is more than an event – it’s a showcase of WA’s farming heritage, food
production and regional communities. Labor’s cut-price compromise shows exactly where
agriculture sits on their list of priorities – at the bottom.
The Opposition is calling on the Cook Labor Government to:
- Match their previous commitment of free entry for all children.
- Provide proper support to ensure every family, regardless of income or children’s ages, can attend.
- Treat WA agriculture with the respect and recognition it deserves.
“WA agriculture deserves better than an anti-agriculture Premier and government who would rather bankroll a city racetrack than back our state’s biggest agricultural showcase,” Mr Hunter said.
“It’s time to put the Show back at the heart of supporting WA families and regional communities – not treat it as an afterthought.”
