Latest news with #WestAussies
West Australian
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Basil Zempilas: Hakea report shows Labor is fixated on votes over basic needs
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.
West Australian
13 hours ago
- Climate
- West Australian
WA weather: BOM issues wind, fire and farmer warnings as blustery winds and heavy rainfall expected
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued multiple weather warnings as West Aussies prepare for blustery winds and heavy downpours on Wednesday and Thursday. The wind warning issued on Wednesday continue into Thursday, with a gale warning for Esperance Coast and Eucla Coast. There is also a strong marine wind warning for most of WA, covering the following coasts: Pilbara West, Ningaloo, Gascoyne, Geraldton, Lancelin, Perth, Bunbury Geographe, Leeuwin and Albany. The strong winds have also led to a fire warning for Thursday in the central interior region of WA; this is due to dry and windy conditions that are forecast to develop during Thursday ahead of a strong cold front crossing the Central Interior district in the evening. BOM also issued a warning to sheep graziers on Wednesday afternoon, alerting farmers that cold temperatures, rain and showers and southwesterly winds are expected during Wednesday and Thursday, which poses the risk of losses of lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions. Areas likely to be affected include parts of the Lower West, South Coastal, South East Coastal and Great Southern forecast districts. In Perth, there's a very high chance of showers on Wednesday evening and winds are expected to be northwesterly at 15 to 25 km/h turning west to southwesterly 20 to 30 km/h in the evening. On Thursday, there is also a very high chance of showers in Perth, with possible hail throughout the day and a chance of a thunderstorm near the coast in the early morning. Thursday — Min 5, Max 14 — Showers. Friday — Min 3, Max 15 — Mostly sunny. Saturday — Min 4, Max 16 — Partly cloudy. Sunday — Min 6, Max 14 — Showers. Monday — Min 5, Max 15 — Shower or two. Tuesday — Min 5, Max 17 — Partly cloudy. Wednesday — Min 5, Max 19 — Sunny.
Perth Now
13 hours ago
- Climate
- Perth Now
Wild WA weather expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued multiple weather warnings as West Aussies prepare for blustery winds and heavy downpours on Wednesday and Thursday. The wind warning issued on Wednesday continue into Thursday, with a gale warning for Esperance Coast and Eucla Coast. There is also a strong marine wind warning for most of WA, covering the following coasts: Pilbara West, Ningaloo, Gascoyne, Geraldton, Lancelin, Perth, Bunbury Geographe, Leeuwin and Albany. The strong winds have also led to a fire warning for Thursday in the central interior region of WA; this is due to dry and windy conditions that are forecast to develop during Thursday ahead of a strong cold front crossing the Central Interior district in the evening. BOM also issued a warning to sheep graziers on Wednesday afternoon, alerting farmers that cold temperatures, rain and showers and southwesterly winds are expected during Wednesday and Thursday, which poses the risk of losses of lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions. Areas likely to be affected include parts of the Lower West, South Coastal, South East Coastal and Great Southern forecast districts. In Perth, there's a very high chance of showers on Wednesday evening and winds are expected to be northwesterly at 15 to 25 km/h turning west to southwesterly 20 to 30 km/h in the evening. On Thursday, there is also a very high chance of showers in Perth, with possible hail throughout the day and a chance of a thunderstorm near the coast in the early morning. Thursday — Min 5, Max 14 — Showers. Friday — Min 3, Max 15 — Mostly sunny. Saturday — Min 4, Max 16 — Partly cloudy. Sunday — Min 6, Max 14 — Showers. Monday — Min 5, Max 15 — Shower or two. Tuesday — Min 5, Max 17 — Partly cloudy. Wednesday — Min 5, Max 19 — Sunny.
West Australian
21 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Former WA senator turned Forrest MP shares personal heartache as driver in bid to return to Parliament
Forrest MP Ben Small has spoken of the loss of his 30-year-old sister as a driver for his political motivations after winning his bid to return to Parliament. Speaking for the first time on the green-carpeted floor of the House of Representatives, the former WA Senator drew on several pivotal moments which had shaped his journey to Canberra. 'I couldn't possibly rise in the House today without acknowledging the people that have supported me, shaped me, and challenged me in the many chapters of my story so far,' Mr Small said. 'The sudden death of my younger sister at the age of just 30 has taken me years to process fully. 'I've seen so many grieving families on their worst days, but on mine, seeing my mum holding my dead sister's babies in her arms is an image seared in my mind. 'For me, this perspective anchors the political struggles that play out each day in this building, against what really matters in life – especially the value of those incredible people who share our journey in life, and to whom in our busy lives we often don't pay enough care and attention.' Mr Small had been preselected for the blue-ribbon seat in WA's South West region — which has been held by the Coalition for more than 50 years — after Nola Marino retired before the election. She had held the seat since 2007. Despite having to fight off a tight contest with independent Sue Chapman, Forrest was one of several silver lining regional seat wins for the Liberal Party - alongside Durack, O'Connor and Canning — after being smashed in the Perth metro. Mr Small also used his speech to stand up for small business, expressing that retape and energy costs needed to be addressed this term to prevent further businesses going under. His speech comes three years after leaving the senate, where he had served for 18 months. Mr Small had first filled a Senate vacancy created when former finance minister Mathias Cormann retired in November 2020. He was then forced to resign in April 2022 after a breach of section 44 of the Australian Constitution as he was a dual citizen with New Zealand. Mr Small's speech was one of 22 across both houses in this sitting block. Fellow West Aussies Tom French for Moore and new WA senator Ellie Whiteaker expected to also speak later on Wednesday. His speech received a standing-ovation from his Coalition colleagues. It was the only Liberal first speech scheduled in the lower house this week.
West Australian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Alkimos punter wins $300,000 after buying Scratch ‘n' Win ticket from The Lucky Charm Joondalup
A punter in Perth's northern suburbs is celebrating his luck after striking it rich while shopping for Christmas in July gifts. The Alkimos man and his wife walked out of the shops $300,000 better off after buying a Scratch 'n' Win ticket from The Lucky Charm Joondalup. But the man first had to convince his wife that they had won. 'I said to my wife, 'We've just won $300,000',' the man, aged in his 30s, said. 'She said, 'No, we have not'. I said. 'Yes, we have'. 'We were jumping for joy, cheering, almost crying. And everybody in the store was congratulating us.' The Lucky Charm Joondalup owner Parag Bhimjiyani said the excitement was infectious. 'The player was almost in tears,' he said. 'I gave him a hug. It's so special to be part of this big moment in someone's life. 'It's the first major prize my store has sold and hopefully the first of many.' The winning couple celebrated with a family dinner at their favourite restaurant. They plan to treat themselves to new computers to play their favourite video games. West Aussies have the chance to become a multimillionaire in Saturday's $30 million megadraw.
