A business case to expand Albany’s hospital would be funded to the tune of $5 million by the Liberal Party should it win next weekend’s state election.

The money would go toward planning for the Great Southern’s largest health campus which has been waiting on the state government to press ahead with a $320 million expansion since 2021.

WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam said the campus needed more than ‘election band-aids’.

“Instead of temporary fixes, the WA Liberals will commit to a proper, structured, and fully funded master plan to ensure Albany Health Campus has the infrastructure, workforce, and service capability it needs for the long term,” she said.

“This isn’t just a policy, it’s a priority – this is a personal issue for our local candidate Dr Tom Brough, who has worked on the frontline of healthcare in Albany and knows firsthand the damage caused by Labor’s failures.

“In Perth, they would never allow sick children to share a ward with dementia patients, but under WA Labor, that’s exactly what’s happening in Albany.”

Labor has promised a $60m upgrade to double the number of beds at the hospital by 2027 if re-elected.

Ms Mettam made the announcement on Saturday in Albany alongside controversial local councillor-turned-candidate Thomas Brough.

Mr Brough has been a lightning rod for criticism for derogatory and false remarks he made linking the LGBTI+ community to paedophiles.

It was a stance he was initially unapologetic for, and even doubled down on, prior to offering an apology. 

Ms Mettam publicly derided his comments as “bizarre” during the preselection process last year.

His behaviour has now been referred to the State Administrative Tribunal by the Medical Board of Australia for professional misconduct.