From 9 April 2013 to 26 June 2015, Saffioti was the shadow minister for planning, finance, government accountability and women's interests. From 26 June 2015 to 11 March 2017, she was the shadow minister for planning, finance, transport and infrastructure.[1]
On 17 March 2017, following the election of the McGowan government on 11 March 2017, Saffioti was appointed as the minister for transport, minister for planning, and minister for lands.[1] She stopped being minister for lands on 13 December 2018, with Premier Mark McGowan saying it would enable Saffioti to focus more on Metronet, the government's expansion program for Perth's rail network. Ben Wyatt succeeded her as minister for lands.[1][11] Following the 2021 election, on 19 March 2021, Saffioti became the minister for ports, as well as keeping her existing ministries.[1]
Upon becoming minister for transport, Saffioti cancelled the controversial Roe 8 highway project, which would have extended Roe Highway through the Beeliar Wetlands. The cancellation fulfiulled an election promise made by Labor. The contract for the project was renegotiated to instead construct three different road projects: duplication of Wanneroo Road between Joondalup Drive and Flynn Drive, connection between Murdoch Drive and Roe Highway, and duplication of Armadale Road between Tapper Road and Anstey Road. $46.9 million of taxpayer funds was written off by the decision to cancel Roe 8.[12][13]
As the minister for transport and minister for planning, Saffioti has control over Metronet. Under Metronet, construction started on the Morley–Ellenbrook line (now known as the Ellenbrook line, an extension of the Joondalup line (now known as the Yanchep line) to Yanchep, an extension of the Armadale line to Byford, an extension of the Thornlie line to Cockburn Central on the Mandurah line, a new station at Lakelands on the Mandurah line, a rebuild of Bayswater station, Claremont station and Midland station, and the removal of several level crossings along the Armadale/Thornlie lines and Midland line. Railcar manufacturing was also brought back into Western Australia for the first time since the 1990s, with the Transperth C-series trains being manufactured in Bellevue, Western Australia.[14] Redevelopment areas were established around Bayswater station and High Wycombe station in 2019.[15] During the 2017 election campaign, Saffioti promised that all Metronet stage 1 projects would be finished within eight years.[14]
Following Mark McGowan's announcement on 29 May 2023 of his imminent resignation as premier and Labor leader, Saffioti entered the ensuing leadership ballot as one of three candidates. As the left faction has a strong position within the Labor Party's caucus, the position was likely to go to a left-aligned candidate such as Roger Cook or Amber-Jade Sanderson rather than the unaligned Saffioti.[16][17][18][19] Polling conducted in January 2023 by Painted Dog Research for The West Australian showed that Saffioti was favoured by 13 percent of voters to succeed McGowan if he were to retire, behind Cook at 15 percent but above Sanderson at 6 percent.[19] On 30 May, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union chose Cook as its preferred candidate for leader and Saffioti as its preferred candidate for deputy leader. Following that, Saffioti withdrew from leadership contention and backed Cook to be leader and herself as deputy.[20] The Labor Party formally elected her as deputy leader on 6 June 2023.[21][22]
Saffioti is one of six Labor MP's in the current state parliament that is not factionally aligned as of 2021.[26] In 2010, she spoke out against parliament rules which prohibited her from taking her baby into the chamber.[27] Government MPs Rob Johnson, Joe Francis and Vince Catania threatened to kick her out of the chamber under rules that meant strangers were not allowed in the chamber. Saffioti has also voiced support for a family room in Parliament House.[4][2]: 498–9
Personal life
Saffioti married Timothy Fraser on 21 October 2006 at the Perth Town Hall. They have two daughters and one son born via IVF.[1][2]: 497 [6] She was the first member of parliament to give birth in over 10 years, with the previous time being Michelle Roberts in 1999.[28][27] Saffioti is Catholic. She supports the Fremantle Football Club.[1][6]
