Follow our live coverage here.
Follow our live coverage here.
A former Corruption and Crime Commission worker who managed the agency’s human sources has been charged with corruption over an alleged intimate relationship with a source who was also an inmate at the time.
The 42-year-old woman worked for the CCC from 2005 to 2023, when she was sacked following the revelation of the alleged relationship, which spanned three years from 2020.
A CCC report tabled in parliament in March last year laid bare the woman’s alleged actions, which were described as “extremely serious” and “potentially dangerous”.
The charge relates to the woman’s time as a human source co-ordinator for the anti-corruption body, during which time she also adopted the role of human source handler, bringing her into contact with the inmate.
Police on Thursday alleged the woman engaged in “deceitful conduct” to conceal the inappropriate relationship from the CCC, including creating a pseudonym and using the powers available to her in her role to have the pseudonym registered with the prison as a legal contact for the inmate.
“This allegedly enabled the woman to maintain the clandestine aspect of the relationship and secure extended unmonitored and unrecorded contact with the [registered human source],” a WA Police spokeswoman said.
The woman will face Perth Magistrates Court on Friday, April 11.
Heading to Forrestfield now, where Premier Roger Cook has just given a press conference alongside Rio Tinto iron ore boss Simon Trott and Gemco Rail managing director Dean Draper to reveal the state’s first locally assembled iron ore rail car.
The press conference quickly moved to Trump’s tariffs, with Cook tempering concerns about their impacts on the WA economy and its important iron ore sector.
“I want to reassure people that 90 per cent of iron ore or China’s steel production is actually consumed by their domestic economy,” he said.
“A small proportion of that steel that they produce is exported to the US.
“Now, ultimately, they produce goods which are exported to the US, and so we need to actually see what the long-term indications or impact of these changes are, we won’t see changes overnight.”
Trott said his company remained committed to the Pilbara.
“We’ve got a lot to do in the next few years, we need around about a mine a year as we come to the end of some of our mining operations, and those projects continue as planned,” he said.
There was an awkward exchange between Trott and veteran Seven journalist Geof Parry, who grilled the Rio Tinto executive on why he was the only one out of nearly 100 people gathered at the press conference to not be wearing a high-vis vest.
“I assume that Rio Tinto has a big commitment to worksite safety. I just observed that you appear to be the only one here who’s not in high vis,” Parry asked.
“I clarified before standing up that it was okay to stand here without high vis on,” Trott replied.
When asked whether he would not wear high vis on a Rio Tinto site, Trott said he would take guidance from local management.
Trott ended up putting on a high vis vest for photos in front of the new railcar.
To some police news now, and a 14-year-old boy has been taken to hospital while a 15-year-old boy will face court after a bashing at a shopping centre in Ellenbrook on Wednesday afternoon.
Police were called to Ellenbrook Central Shopping Centre about 4.20pm on Wednesday after the boy was approached by a group of juveniles known to him and allegedly assaulted.
The assault was so severe it left the boy with “serious facial injuries”, according to a WA Police spokeswoman, and he was taken by St John Ambulance to Perth Children’s Hospital for treatment.
The 15-year-old boy was arrested and has been charged with one count of acts intended to cause hard or endanger the life, health or safety of any person.
He was granted bail and is set to appear in Midland Children’s Court at a later date.
Police are still investigating the incident and have called on anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or make a report online.
The Dutton campaign is airborne again, heading on a (very) short flight to Busselton, in the southern federal WA electorate of Forrest.
Liberal MP Nola Merino, who has represented the electorate since 2007, is retiring at this election and the Coalition wants to hold on to the seat.
At a state level, Busselton sits in the seat of Vasse, held by now-former WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam and widely regarded as a stronghold for the party.
Woodside Energy, the largest Australian oil and gas producer, expects the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs to reverberate across the global economy by slowing economic activity and worsening inflation.
Speaking after an investor briefing in Melbourne, Woodside chief executive Meg O’Neill said Perth-based energy giant was not expecting a major impact on its operations in Australia, which sells liquefied natural gas to Asia, while its US businesses mainly supplied the US domestic market.
“But obviously any tariff, as it ripples through the global economy, is going to have the impact of raising costs and slowing things down,” O’Neill said.
“I think it will take a bit of time for us to figure out exactly what that looks like.”
We take you now to Mineral Resources Park in Lathlain, where West Coast Eagles co-captain Oscar Allen and head of football John Worsfold have just held a press conference.
First point of order, of course, is Allen’s now-infamous meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell, news of which emerged this week.
It was terrible timing – we’re only three weeks into the season and the Eagles have been off to a, well, rocky start. They’ve yet to win a game and are currently sitting bottom of the ladder.
Allen acknowledged the impact – and timing – of the news on the club’s fan base.
“Clearly, the public nature and the timing of what’s come out isn’t in the best interest of myself in the football club,” he said.
“For me, I mostly feel remorseful towards our fans, playing, members, supporters, staff. I can imagine how you guys are feeling for that. I’m incredibly remorseful.”
But Allen was adamant he’d continue as co-captain alongside Liam Duggan, and had feedback from the club that it was the right path to take.
“I still am really confident I’m the right man alongside Duggo to take this club forward and achieving some real progress and success this year,” he said.
Allen admitted he was surprised by how much the furore blew up this week, and, asked if he wanted to play at West Coast long-term, responded: “Yeah, I do.”
“Clearly, [the news has] had a massive impact on our fans and supporters, and they’re the people I’m most disappointed for. On my own behalf, I’ve let them down, and I’m really keen to make sure this isn’t a distraction,” he said.
Worsfold said there had been a lot of public and member talk about Allen’s meeting with Mitchell, but the playing group had been supportive of their co-captain throughout the week.
“We understand the landscape of free agency. That’s just the nature; at any given time, there’s hundreds of players out of contract in the competition that play their years out, out of contract,” he said.
“So it’s not a unique situation, but the public nature of it, we’ve all acknowledged, isn’t great timing.
“With the team struggling on field and trying to build our new identity under a new coach, it didn’t work out perfect, but we learnt from it.”
When Allen was asked about a light-hearted remark from Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan, who said he’d love to have coffee with the key forward, Worsfold interjected with a laugh: “Tell Fages to have a coffee with me.”
Back to that press conference with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton this morning, where he targeted mining and farming regions in his first major campaign pledge to Western Australians.
Dutton announced a program that would be developed in consultation with miners and farmers to identify roads that require upgrading to improve the transport of food and mining commodities.
“I want Western Australia to continue to be the powerhouse of the national economy. But we need a government in Canberra that plays to WA’s strengths, not works against it,” Dutton said.
The program would run for four years and would see upgrades including sealing, widening, building flood immunity and resilience upgrades.
Dutton was asked whether he would repeal Labor’s industrial relations reforms passed during the last term, including collective bargaining and secure jobs, better pay laws.
Duttton said his party had made its position clear in relation to industrial relations before launching into a tirade over the Albanese government’s treatment of the mining and resources sector.
“Anthony Albanese is no Mark McGowan. He’s not even close to Roger Cook. Anthony Albanese is a threat to WA to mining, to jobs and to economic growth in the state,” he said.
Dutton left the press conference as he was being asked to clarify his party’s position on industrial relations.
The opposition leader flew into Perth on Wednesday afternoon, where he launched the campaign of his Pearce candidate, Jan Norberger in Yanchep on Wednesday night.
You can read more from state political reporter Hamish Hastie here.
More now on US President Donald Trump’s swathe of tariffs, which were announced overnight and are dominating headlines across the world today.
WA Premier Roger Cook has backed in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s response to the flat 10 per cent tariff imposed on Australian exports to the US, which included strengthening “anti-dumping” safeguards, support and loan packages to affected industries, and a government policy of prioritising Australian businesses for contracts.
Cook said he joined the prime minister in “expressing profound disappointment” in the Trump tariffs, and vowed to double down WA government initiatives to diversity the economy and “make more things in WA”.
“The Trump Administration’s tariffs are not consistent with the close relationship Australia has enjoyed with the United States over many years,” Cook said.
“I join with the prime minister in calling for national unity, and strongly support his decision not to impose retaliatory tariffs, which would only serve to drive up prices for Australian consumers.
“My government will work closely with the Prime Minister, to ensure Western Australian businesses benefit from his five-point policy response to boost economic resilience and develop new markets – including the establishment of a Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve.”
More on that bushfire in Ferndale now, where the alert level has been downgraded to a watch and act. However, residents who were evacuated have been warned it is still unsafe to return.
Four houses were under direct threat, with one resident’s backyard on fire, however DFES at 8am said there was no longer a threat to homes or lives and downgraded the fire to a watch and act.
The emergency zone included people west of Canning River between Nicholson Road, Metcalfe Road, Latham Road and Willcock Street.
The fire is not yet controlled or contained with embers blowing around the area.
Nicholson Road is closed near the blaze.
Well, as dedicated blog readers might know, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is on the campaign trail in Perth today. He addressed media this morning, you can watch his press conference below:
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