Neil Thomson is the Liberal’s No 1 candidate for the Mining and Pastoral Region who is lives in the State’s north at Broome.  Neil brings extensive experience to the role with a background as a senior public servant, former Chief of Staff for two Ministers in the Barnett Government and as a Partner running a successful economics consultancy with his wife Debra Goostrey, operating with projects from the Northern Territory through to the Pilbara and in Perth.  Neil also comes with a strong pedigree of Liberal Party experience, currently President of the Durack Division and having been a member of the Party for nearly 20 years.

Neil has a Master of Science (Agriculture) majoring in agricultural economics, a qualification which has been put to good use both in his senior public service roles and as a consultant for agribusinesses, Aboriginal corporations and pastoral stations in the north. 

In former years, he has held roles such as the Assistant Director General for the Department of Planning, Executive Director in the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and as Assistant Director leading microeconomic reforms in Treasury.   In recent years, with his wife Debra, they have made a formidable team as they have criss-crossed the State covering thousands of kilometres, working for clients in the State Government, local government and the private sector.  Now in campaign mode, Neil and Debra have been on the road supporting the Liberal team including our hardworking local member Kyran O’Donnell in Kalgoorlie.

Neil believes in building new economic opportunities in remote and rural Western Australia by creating a safer investment environment with less red tape and more responsive State agencies.  He also advocates for new approaches to deal with the social dysfunction in our regional towns.  Neil will also bring his strong background in policy to bear in his new Upper House role next year.