Media Release | 13 August 2025
Lachlan Hunter MLA
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food
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.”
ENDS
