Basil Zempilas: Hakea report shows Labor is fixated on votes over basic needs

West Australian

5 days ago

1. It's messy and expensive — but also necessary. Three commissioners are now in place to run the Nedlands council for the next nine months. Where though are John Carey's inspectorate of local government and local government monitors? You remember, announced three years ago with much fanfare, we were told they would investigate and oversee complaints and assist in resolving ongoing issues. Still we wait for their arrival, and Nedlands counts the cost.
2. A scathing report which described conditions within Hakea prison as 'entirely unacceptable' is the latest evidence of a Government fixated on pet projects such as the racetrack at Burswood, instead of the basics. As 7NEWS veteran Geof Parry put it so well, 'there's very few votes in prisons or prisoners — and the Government knows it, but the public should pay more attention. Every time there's a breakout or prison riot, the bill to taxpayers can run into the millions.'
3. Not everything has to be about dollars or votes. In WA we expect a certain standard, even for those who are behind bars. Prisoners being kept in inhumane conditions increases the risk to prison guards and decreases the chances of any meaningful rehabilitation. If there's no chance of prisoners coming out any better than they went in, we've lost our way.
4. Vale Ozzy Osbourne. I never really got into him, Black Sabbath or the family reality show, but the other day I saw a clip of him meeting his lifetime idol Sir Paul McCarthy. The genuine warmth and respect he showed for the legendary Beatle was enough to convince me Ozzy was all right.
5. I was at the West Coast Fever's semi-final demolition of the Sydney Swifts on Sunday — a display I'd rank as one of the most dominant team performances I've seen. The Fever's on-court confidence has carried them to 13 consecutive wins and the grand final. One to go.
6. The other delight of attending with my daughter and niece, was seeing first-hand the phenomenal match day atmosphere and sheer inspiration the Fever players provide the stadium full of impressionable young athletes. I'm not sure any club in WA does it better. What wonderful role models they are.
7. I visited our State's largest food relief provider, Foodbank, this week. It was a reminder of how many people in WA are doing it tough. Each year Foodbank provides more than 9 million meals to West Aussies in need.
8. Can the Dockers win the flag? They can if they sneak into the top four.
9. One of the most remarkable people I have ever met turns 90 tomorrow. Happy birthday Don Cruden, a sparkling gentleman with an insatiable appetite for knowledge, who served his country for 21 years in the 7RAR 'Porky Pig' battalion of the Australian Army.
10. The WA Liberals listening tour is in Harvey on Friday. I'll be with Michelle Boylan MLC at the Curious Cockatoo Café at 9am. Great name. Come and say hi.