Follow our live coverage here.
Follow our live coverage here.
We’re here at Edith Cowan University in Mount Lawley, where ABC Radio host Nadia Mitsopoulos is struggling to wrangle the WA Liberals’ star candidate Basil Zempilas in a robust debate with Housing Minister John Carey.
Zempilas opened the live debate on ABC radio by accusing the WA Labor government of turning a blind eye to the impact of the rising cost of living on the public, claiming it had not enjoyed the benefit of the billions of dollars flowing from mining royalties and the GST deal.
He also questioned the government’s priorities, repeatedly referring to the party’s contentious $220 million plan to build a racetrack in Burswood.
But Carey returned fire by pointing out the strength of the WA economy, including the triple-A credit rating it had been given by several independent agencies – including S&P Global – and the 340,000 jobs created since Labor came to office.
The minister attempted to highlight the state of the finances left by the previous Liberal government before Zempilas interjected.
“But how long are we going to go back to the previous Liberal government?” Zempilas asked.
“John, that was eight years ago. You’ve had eight years, friend. And four with the power to set your own course for WA.”
“I see you’re getting agitated,” Carey responded, before rattling off the $1.1 billion in cost of living measures the government has rolled out in recent years.
Carey has been supported at the early polling centre by almost two dozen Labor campaign staff, something Zempilas made a point of noting as the debate opened.
He went on to grill Carey about the 35,000 people on the public housing waiting list, indicating the government’s long list of economic talking points did not align with the reality experienced by most West Australians.
Police are investigating the cause of a fire that engulfed a former nightclub on William Street in Northbridge last night.
Emergency services were called to the scene about 7.25pm, with firefighters working quickly to put out the blaze in the unoccupied building.
Now, police arson squad investigators will probe the scene to figure out the circumstances behind the fire, which appeared to start on the second floor of the building.
Anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam vision of the area between 5pm and 7.30pm on Wednesday is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or make a report online.
A man who allegedly led police on a wild chase through Perth’s east in a Volkswagen Beetle stolen from a dealership on Wednesday will face court today on dozens of offences including firearms charges.
Police allege the 25-year-old man stole the car from a Bayswater dealership on Beechboro Road South about midday, before it was later spotted at a service station on Goodwood Crescent in Ellenbrook about 1.45pm.
Officers activated their lights and sirens, but the man allegedly failed to stop and instead drove off, speeding recklessly through several streets including West Swan Road, Reid Highway, Roe Highway and Great Eastern Parade.
During the pursuit, the car hit a curb, popping one of the tires. The chase came to an end about 2pm, when the Beetle crashed into two police cars and a civilian car on Morrison Road.
The man was arrested at the scene, and during a search of the car police allegedly uncovered three stolen firearms and a stolen mountain bike.
He was charged with 13 offences over the pursuit, including stealing a motor vehicle, reckless driving to escape pursuit by police, and three counts of stealing a firearm.
However, Cannington Detectives probed further, leading to the Perth man being charged with another 25 offences relating to alleged incidents dating back as early as January 3.
He’s due to face Perth Magistrates Court today.
The state election may be just days away, but it seems plenty of voters aren’t keen to wait, with the latest WA Electoral Commission figures reporting more than 300,000 people have cast their vote already.
As of March 5, 380,679 people have voted early, with the Mandurah early polling place drawing the biggest crowd, with 15,075 casting an early vote.
But those who hold out until March 8 are rewarded with that Australian polling booth staple – a sausage sizzle, or, “democracy sausage”.
And if you’re wondering where the best snag in your neighbourhood is, then don’t fret, a group of tech-savvy democracy enthusiasts have a website for that.
You can see more about that from our friends at 9News Perth below:
Here’s what’s making news elsewhere this morning:
Good morning readers, and welcome to our live news blog for Thursday, March 6.
Making headlines today is another instalment in WAtoday’s analysis of police crime statistics, revealing which suburbs have seen a jump in crime of more than 50 per cent in the last year.
Those suburbs include Glen Forrest, Harrisdale, Hilbert, Oakford, Parkerville and Stoneville, which all saw crime rise by more than 80 per cent.
Read Rebecca Peppiatt’s full report here.
Meanwhile, WA Premier Roger Cook has hinted that Labor’s long-held vision to build a circle route train line around the city could be acted on during the next term of his government.
Labor’s original vision for Metronet in December 2012 included north and south circle routes, while its 2017 election pledge included a vague large circle route connecting the Yanchep line to Fremantle, cutting through the city’s other rail lines.
Apart from the Thornlie to Cockburn link, the circle route has always been deemed “stage two” of Metronet and was never fully costed or put to the voting public.
Read Hamish Hastie’s report here.
And finally, football season is almost upon us – so, who’s going to lift the cup this year, and will it finally be Fremantle?
We’ve pulled together a panel of WA experts to look into their crystal balls and make some bold predictions about the season ahead.
You can read all about it here.
Thank you for joining us this morning, stay tuned as we bring you more news you need to know.