OUTGOING member for Swan Hills Frank Alban has announced he will run for City of Swan council this year after failing to be re-elected by his electorate on Saturday night.
Mr Alban, who held the seat for eight years, said it had been a pleasure representing the people of Swan Hills.
“In 2008 when I was elected, I knew it wouldn’t be forever,” he said.
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READ NOW“As far as I’m concerned I’ve had everything I ever dreamed of since I came to Australia in 1956 as a six-year-old, so being elected to Parliament was a bonus.”
Mr Alban said he was sad to not be representing the electorate anymore and for the next few months he would be focusing on his own business and his family and friends.
“I’m a little bit hurt. You can’t help the human element and to feel hurt,” he said.
“The next six months we have a long hard track to go back and to be with our friends and family and our business, which have all been neglected because of our constituents.”
He said outgoing Premier Colin Barnett did not deserve the negative press he was getting, even from his own party.
“The Premier was a tremendous support to me and without him I wouldn’t have been able to do as much as I did for the people of Swan Hills,” he said.
“Nobody likes losing, but politics, like the Premier said, is a brutal business.”
Mr Alban polled 35 per cent of votes in the seat and believed many voters were “fooled” by the Labor’s commitment to a train line to Ellenbrook.
He congratulated Labor’s Jessica Shaw, but believed she was in for a shock as the incoming member and did not believe her party would be able to commit to a train line in Ellenbrook.
“Jess has big shoes to fill,” he said.
“I made a large number of contributions to the electorate.”
He thanked all those who worked on his campaign and supported him over the past eight years, especially his wife and daughter.
He said after originally starting his political career in local government with the City of Swan he was looking forward to returning to his roots.
“I feel the need to stay in contact with my community,” he said.
“The electorate became my family and I feel the need to look after it in any way I can.
“I can’t imagine doing nothing and retiring, so being involved in the community by being on council is another way I can give back.”