WA in spotlight as Federal leaders open campaign

Mr Shorten spent several days in WA, while Mr Abbott made a flying visit to the State during the week to launch the campaign before polling day on April 5.

Here is some of what they had to say:

I can understand the frustration of Western Australians of having to go to the polls yet again, but this is a chance for the people of Western Australia to vote for a strong team that will give a fair deal to the people of Western Australia.

We’ve got a strong team and they will vote in the Senate, should they be elected, for a fair deal, a better deal for the people of Western Australia.

That’s what this is all about ” voting for people who will be a strong team and will give the people of Western Australia a fair deal in the Senate.

Now, it’s very important ” very, very important ” that we get rid of anti-Western Australian taxes and the mining tax and the carbon tax are anti-Western Australian taxes.

That’s what they are. They’re anti-Western Australian taxes and they are only there still because the Labor Party and the Greens, voting together as they always do, have voted to keep them.

There is a real opportunity in this West Australian Senate election, the first of its kind we’ve seen in the history of the Commonwealth, to send a clear message to Tony Abbott.

This Senate election is about sending a message to Tony Abbott and to Colin Barnett.

West Australians love their quality of life here, they want to make sure that their families can get access to the best quality health care and they want their kids to get the best quality education.

Our concern is that when you look at all these broken promises from the Barnett government, why on earth is Tony Abbott saying that he wants to model himself on the Barnett government?

The truth of the matter is that we need to get votes of many Western Australians, we need to make sure that people turn out and vote.

What I would say to Western Australians who are frustrated at a second election because of the AEC losing 1300 votes is we live in a democracy.

The quality of the government you get nationally depends on the interest you take.