Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has joined West Australian Premier Colin Barnett on the state election campaign trail, talking up the state's shipbuilding prospects at the Austal manufacturing yard in Perth's south.
It was Mr Turnbull's first press conference with the two-term premier since he arrived in the west to lend his support to the Liberal campaign.
He said Mr Barnett had the most experience, credibility and standing of all the premiers, and would be listened to in his push to improve WA's low GST share.
In turn, Mr Barnett said he welcomed the federal government investing in defence shipbuilding infrastructure at Henderson and backing companies like Austal, which will start building Pacific patrol boats in April and offshore patrol vessels in 2020.
"You can see the defence industry commitment that we've made here is going to provide thousands of jobs over the years for decades and decades to come," Mr Turnbull told reporters.
The prime minister flew into Perth from Darwin late on Sunday and was the drawcard for a $10,000 a head Liberal Party fundraiser, attended by a select and very small group of bankers and other leading business people.
The West Australian newspaper reported at least 15 captains of industry attended the soiree with Mr Barnett in the Macquarie Bank boardroom.
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