The Cook Labor Government Cabinet reshuffle offers no hope for Western Australians wanting better health care, help with cost of living, or a house to live in.

Liberal Leader Libby Mettam said the State’s health system was still in crisis, Metronet was still over budget and late, cost of living pressures were still driving WA families to financial collapse and there remained a dire shortage of houses.

“Undoubtedly there will be a lot of Labor backbenchers, with potentially a lot of offer in the way of ideas and energy that will be disappointed by today’s reshuffle that was aimed squarely at shoring up the position of senior ministers and the Premier.

“It’s difficult to understand how some ministers, who could only be described at failing in their current portfolios, have been loaded with additional responsibilities or retained their current portfolios.”

Ms Mettam said the reshuffle also clearly illustrated the control unions continued to have over the Labor Government, it’s policies and its decisions.

“Cabinet members are being appointed or retained on the back of their union affiliations rather than on merit,” she said.

“The core business of government continues to be tightly held by an unusually small number of ministers who wield disproportionate influence.”

Ms Mettam said the concentration of power in a few ministers was leading to poor decision making, sloppy legislation and was costing the state billions in cost overruns and blowouts”.