Latest news with #ShaneLove
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
WA's new gun laws to remain after disallowance motion thrown out
Sweeping changes to Western Australia's gun laws have been backed by members of parliament, with the majority voting to throw out a disallowance motion put forward in an attempt to stop them in their tracks. Nationals Leader Shane Love campaigned on a pledge to rewrite the Firearms Act 2024 – passed through state parliament in June last year – ahead of the March state election. The act is the most sweeping change to gun laws in Australia since the Howard-era reforms. Love continued to advocate for an end to those laws despite the election loss and first put forward a disallowance motion in the lower house in May, which ultimately failed. On Thursday afternoon, another disallowance motion was put forward by Legalise Cannabis MLC Brian Walker in the upper house. Despite receiving support from the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation, both the Greens and Labor representatives voted it down 17 to 19. Greens leader Brad Pettitt said that the 'nuclear option that's before the parliament today … is something that can't be supported'. The vote occurred after a protest on the steps of parliament house that attracted more than 1000 firearms owners across WA, frustrated and angered by the new laws – labelled the strictest in Australia. A firearm portal that gun owners must now use to register their weapons has also faced significant scrutiny for being confusing to use and failing to work properly.
The Age
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
WA's new gun laws to remain after disallowance motion thrown out
Sweeping changes to Western Australia's gun laws have been backed by members of parliament, with the majority voting to throw out a disallowance motion put forward in an attempt to stop them in their tracks. Nationals Leader Shane Love campaigned on a pledge to rewrite the Firearms Act 2024 – passed through state parliament in June last year – ahead of the March state election. The act is the most sweeping change to gun laws in Australia since the Howard-era reforms. Love continued to advocate for an end to those laws despite the election loss and first put forward a disallowance motion in the lower house in May, which ultimately failed. On Thursday afternoon, another disallowance motion was put forward by Legalise Cannabis MLC Brian Walker in the upper house. Despite receiving support from the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation, both the Greens and Labor representatives voted it down 17 to 19. Greens leader Brad Pettitt said that the 'nuclear option that's before the parliament today … is something that can't be supported'. The vote occurred after a protest on the steps of parliament house that attracted more than 1000 firearms owners across WA, frustrated and angered by the new laws – labelled the strictest in Australia. A firearm portal that gun owners must now use to register their weapons has also faced significant scrutiny for being confusing to use and failing to work properly.
West Australian
12-08-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Grand opening: After a five-year wait Perenjori finally has its own supermarket again
After five years of being forced to do a 100km round trip to do their grocery shopping, Perenjori locals have celebrated the long-awaited opening of their new supermarket. Perenjori Supermarket opened its doors on Friday, with a ceremony and guest speakers followed by a community barbecue. The town's supermarket closed in 2018, forcing residents to travel to Morawa — a 100km return trip — to collect their groceries. The building was then destroyed by cyclone Seroja in 2021. The shire then bought the site after the building was demolished. Construction of the new supermarket started late last year, with Perth-based construction company Breffini Group in charge of the $4 million project. On its Facebook page, the Shire of Perenjori thanked everyone for attending the opening: 'It was a fantastic turnout and we are thrilled to have this magnificent facility in our town,' it said. Durack MP Melissa Price spoke at the opening and congratulated the shire for making this happen. 'It's the little big things that count in our regional towns. Like a supermarket,' she said. 'Judging by the crowd (at the opening), the locals aren't taking this new important community hub for granted.' Nationals WA leader and Mid-West MLA Shane Love was also at the opening and remarked on the 'great vibe in town'. 'This is a project built from pure community spirit, supported by $500,000 Cyclone Seroja Resilience funding,' he said. Perenjori shire president Jude Sutherland previously said it was vital for rural communities to have access to services like a supermarket. 'Attracting new families, businesses, staff for the town is important, and it's very difficult to attract people without services like this,' she said. 'It creates a community hub, and links all the businesses in the main street.' The council funded the project through its reserves, grants and a loan.
Perth Now
12-08-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
WA town has its own supermarket again after seven-year wait
After seven years of being forced to do a 100km round trip to do their grocery shopping, Perenjori locals have celebrated the long-awaited opening of their new supermarket. Perenjori Supermarket opened its doors on Friday, with a ceremony and guest speakers followed by a community barbecue. The town's supermarket closed in 2018, forcing residents to travel to Morawa — a 100km return trip — to collect their groceries. The building was then destroyed by cyclone Seroja in 2021. The shire then bought the site after the building was demolished. Construction of the new supermarket started late last year, with Perth-based construction company Breffini Group in charge of the $4 million project. On its Facebook page, the Shire of Perenjori thanked everyone for attending the opening: 'It was a fantastic turnout and we are thrilled to have this magnificent facility in our town,' it said. Durack MP Melissa Price spoke at the opening and congratulated the shire for making this happen. 'It's the little big things that count in our regional towns. Like a supermarket,' she said. 'Judging by the crowd (at the opening), the locals aren't taking this new important community hub for granted.' Nationals WA leader and Mid-West MLA Shane Love was also at the opening and remarked on the 'great vibe in town'. 'This is a project built from pure community spirit, supported by $500,000 Cyclone Seroja Resilience funding,' he said. Perenjori shire president Jude Sutherland previously said it was vital for rural communities to have access to services like a supermarket. 'Attracting new families, businesses, staff for the town is important, and it's very difficult to attract people without services like this,' she said. 'It creates a community hub, and links all the businesses in the main street.' The council funded the project through its reserves, grants and a loan.
ABC News
19-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
What we know about WA's problem-plagued state election, and what's to come
Six months before a state election which went so wrong it triggered a special inquiry to find answers, the man in charge gave a warning. "Electoral bodies find they only attract attention when things go wrong," Robert Kennedy told a parliamentary committee. "As long as everything is sailing along fine, no one is particularly interested in any issues you might be identifying." Just as he had predicted, no one paid much attention at the time. Few noticed Electoral Commissioner Kennedy cautioning there were "additional cost pressures and service improvements that … remain unfunded". But, he said: "If we can confirm our funding … I expect that we will be able to meet our goal and our promise of a better electoral experience in 2025." As the conduct of election showed — with reports of long wait times at polling booths, inexperienced staff and shortages of staff and ballot papers — that isn't what happened. The ABC revealed on Tuesday the decision to outsource recruitment of the temporary election workforce was largely motivated by two factors. First, a sense the running of the 2021 election had damaged the commission's reputation. Few involved in that poll — which Mark McGowan won in a post-COVID landslide — seemed to share the commission's concerns. "There were a few issues that I was aware of here and there, but nothing like the collapse that we saw in 2025," was shadow electoral affairs spokesperson Shane Love's recollection. "I think we got off lightly because of the result," Commissioner Kennedy had told parliament, referring to Labor's huge win. Another issue, he said, was "a lack of resources and internal procedures and processes to properly support our large temporary workforce". That lack of resources was also noted in the commission's decision to outsource recruitment. But the $86 million outsourcing contract was not mentioned at the committee hearing, despite being signed nearly a year prior. Instead, the commissioner warned multiple times funding the election was the biggest issue on his mind at that point, although he acknowledged some increased funding provided "so far". Asked this week if the government had adequately resourced the commission, Premier Roger Cook was clear. "There is nothing we do which would give the Electoral Commission any cause for concern in relation to their finances," he said on Tuesday. "Obviously, we want to know how the money is spent, but that's a conversation which predominantly takes place between treasury themselves and the WA Electoral Commission. "And as has been the custom after every election, when the Electoral Commission has required extra resources, they've been topped up." Budget papers show while the 2017 election came in pretty much on budget, the commission needed its total election year budget increased by 24 per cent (or about $8 million) compared to earlier plans. Last month's budget included a 55 per cent increase — more than $20 million — on earlier predictions. That took the commission's budget to around $57.5 million, with between $19 or $20 million paid under the contract. But a state government spokesperson did not answer questions about whether that money included what the commissioner was concerned about getting in late 2024. "The resourcing of the 2025 state election was a matter included in the terms of reference for the Special Inquiry into the Planning and Delivery of the 2025 WA State General Election," they said in a statement. "The inquirer's report will be tabled in parliament next month." The electoral commissioner's comments to the committee — and particularly his warning that few paid attention to issues raised when things were going fine — could suggest he did feel some level of concern around finances. Understanding whether that was the case will be a critical question for the special inquiry to answer, if it is to have even the chance of avoiding a similarly problematic election in the future. Of course, that's not to say other, more direct changes, won't help. "A new acting commissioner and acting deputy commissioner have been appointed, both of whom are already reviewing the current practices, processes and culture of the WA Electoral Commission," was the assurance provided by Electoral Affairs Minister David Michael during the week. "The government will formally respond to recommendations within the special inquiry report when it is tabled in parliament and publicly released." That is not expected to be until mid-August at the earliest when parliament next sits. Later in the year, after local government elections have been run in October, the acting commissioner Dennis O'Reilly has also indicated the recruitment contract could be reconsidered. "As good contract managers, we will be sitting down to see what is working and what is not. Part of that process will also involve looking at what the future looks like with PERSOLKELLY," he told parliament. "I would not want to pre-empt anything, but as a good contract manager, I think it is important to sit down and have those discussions." Whatever changes eventuate, they are unlikely to have much of an impact on the culture of the commission, which could be an even more important factor. Any issues within the organisation clearly must be addressed before the next state election in 2029. But that focus cannot allow the state government to be let of the hook if there is found to be any undue external pressure on the commission. Nobody expects any part of government to be given a blank cheque. But it would be hard to justify fiscal restraint, for one of the agencies responsible for such a fundamental part of democracy to be deprived of a fraction of the state's $2.4 billion surplus last year.
