Follow our live coverage here.
Follow our live coverage here.
Returning to the seat of Fremantle, which is embroiled in a neck-and-neck election contest between sitting Labor MP Simone McGurk and Independent ‘teal’ Kate Hulett.
The Electoral Commission, which is under fire for under resourcing polling day, has requested a recount of the vote, with a new focus on the preferencing for the Labor and Independent candidates.
“This alternative two candidate preferred [count] will not have impact on the final distribution of preference count which determines the result of the election, and does not invalidate the counting that has already occurred in Fremantle,” the commission said.
The fresh count will get underway by 10am.
Meanwhile, Hulett has written to the commission expressing her concern about the recount of preferences following reports of ballots running out in Fremantle and voters being turned away from polling booths.
“At 5.30pm on Sunday evening, I received communication from the WA Electoral Commission that a partial recount of preferences in the Fremantle electorate would commence at 9am this morning,” she said.
“This was only three hours after I had received a direct undertaking from the WAEC that no recount would occur until next Tuesday once 100 per cent of Fremantle ballots had been received.
“We have registered our concern about a recount commencing today with only 60 per cent of Fremantle ballots so far received by the WAEC.
“I firmly believe that every vote should be counted in a clear, transparent process to ensure that Fremantle’s voice is heard.”
According to ABC’s tracker, with 60 per cent of the vote counted, Hulett is narrowly in front with 50.6 per cent of the vote, compared to McGurk on 49.4 per cent.
Hulett said the counting would not be complete until March 18.
The medical licence of a Perth obstetrician accused of killing a young woman during a high speed, drunken car crash in Dalkeith last month has been suspended.
Rhys Bellinge, 45, has been one of Perth’s leading fertility doctors for the past decade and worked at Concept Obstetrics and Gynaecology before he was charged with manslaughter.
However, an Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency spokeswoman has confirmed he is no longer able to practice medicine in Australia.
“Mr Bellinge was suspended under the Medical Board of Australia’s immediate action powers,” she said.
Last month, Bellinge was accused of driving his Jaguar up to 130km/h in a 50 zone when he lost control of his car and crashed head-on into an Uber vehicle, killing passenger Elizabeth Pearce, 24, and critically injuring the driver, Muhammad Usman, 25.
He claimed he was distressed from a recent separation from his wife and had tears in his eyes, preventing him from being able to see clearly.
He is currently behind bars after a failed attempt to be bailed to his father’s riverside mansion.
Counting continues this morning to determine the winners of nine WA seats which are still too close to call following Saturday’s state election.
The biggest upset is shaping up to be the seat of Fremantle, which could be won by independent Kate Hulett at the expense of sitting Labor member Simone McGurk, who, if ousted, would be the only minister to lose their seat after an emphatic Labor victory.
A Hulett victory would also make her the only independent in WA’s lower house, however, the seat will be recounted today, likely further delaying the outcome and the announcement of Labor’s new cabinet.
The ABC has the count at 49.4% McGurk, 50.6% Hulett, with 60 per cent of votes counted.
The count so far is; Labor: 41 seats, Liberals: 5 seats, Nationals: 4 seats.
According to the ABC election tracker, there are still nine seats in doubt. It looks likely the Liberals will win a further three seats in Albany, Kalamunda and Murray-Wellington and the nationals will win a fifth seat in Warren Blackwood.
South Perth, which many tipped would swing back to the Liberals, looks likely to be retained by Labor, along with Dawesville, Kalgoorlie and the Pilbara.
Here’s what’s making news this morning.
- South East Queensland and northern NSW continue to experience rain and flooding in the wake of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred. Follow our ongoing coverage here.
- Donald Trump’s top economic adviser has downplayed the prospect of any exemptions to the US president’s steel and aluminium tariffs.
- Russian special forces walked inside a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from the rear in the Kursk region, Ukraine’s military and Russian war bloggers reported, as Moscow claimed fresh gains in its push to recapture parts of the border province that Kyiv seized in a shock offensive.
Welcome to WAtoday’s live blog for Monday, as we bring you all the fallout from the weekend’s state election result and Labor’s emphatic win.
Premier Roger Cook became tearful when sharing details about a moment of “pride and love” with his family on Saturday night before he declared victory in Labor’s second-best election result in the state’s history, after 2021.
On the current vote count Labor has secured at least 40 seats with tight contests in Pilbara and Kalgoorlie likely to fall their way while the Liberals seem likely to pick up just 7 seats – compared to the 11 that polling put them at before the election.
Meanwhile, in the Liberal camp, Canning MP and shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie has delivered a scathing assessment of the party’s obsession with progressive inner-city seats as his WA colleagues lick their wounds following their second-worst defeat in history.
“We need to remember our roots, and get back to fighting for working Australians in forgotten parts of WA,” he said.
Cook said the WA victory was encouraging for the upcoming Federal election, and for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“The federal landscape is a complex one, but we also know that he’s provided great leadership for this country,” he said.
With some seats still too close to call, we will bring you the latest election news, along with any other news of the day, as it happens.