As it happened: WA news on Monday, March 17

We’re bringing our blog to a close for the day, thank you for joining us.

However, we’ll leave you with a bit of sports news from Fremantle way, with Dockers ruck-forward Luke Jackson pledging his AFL future to the club.

Victorian rivals have believed that Jackson could be open to returning to the state where he started his senior career five years ago.

There were even reports the 23-year-old had indicated to former Melbourne teammates that he was interested in re-joining the club.

But Jackson, who is contracted at Fremantle until the end of 2029, has assured Dockers fans he will remain in purple long-term.

Jackson is Fremantle’s No.1 ruckman while Sean Darcy is sidelined with injury.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

“I definitely will,” he told reporters on Monday.

“I love Freo, I love playing at Freo and I’ve always wanted to play here since I was a little kid.

“I grew up supporting the club and I always remember watching the games, so I’ll definitely be here and I’ve loved my time here.”

Jackson dismissed suggestions he had reached out to former Demons teammates to tell them of his interest in re-joining the club where he won a premiership in 2021.

Another report on Monday suggested Jackson was open to extending his Fremantle contract beyond 2029.

“I’ll leave that stuff to my manager. That’s his role and his job,” Jackson said.

“I’m just focused on playing well for Freo and I absolutely love playing at Freo.”

Well, there you have it. Some good news from Dockers fans after their drubbing at the hands of Geelong on Saturday.

Thank you again for tuning in today. We’ll see you back here tomorrow for more news you need to know.

We take you now to a police press conference earlier this afternoon, where Acting Commander Mike Peters from the road policing group provided an update on the fatal crashes across WA this weekend.

Seven people have died in four separate crashes across the state from Friday to Sunday.

Here’s what Peters had to say about the crashes this weekend:

I don’t know how to explain the sadness and devastation that the families of those loved ones must be feeling right now, and I can’t put myself in their shoes.

But I can say our officers have had to deliver news to families and loved ones in regards to those fatal crashes and those people that have lost their lives, and that’s nothing a police officer wants to ever have to do. But on at least seven occasions over the weekend, we’ve had to do that.

It’s not just loved ones, it’s the broader part of the community and the family that are all affected by these absolutely avoidable crashes that occur.

When you look at the four fatal crashes, in essence, I’ve stood here before and talked about the “fatal five” – that’s speed seat belts, distraction through phone impairment, through drugs or alcohol and fatigue – I can tell you now that it is very likely that it will be one of those causal factors in relation to those four crashes.

The scenes that the first responders had to respond to were things that they will probably never forget in their careers. They’re devastating effects on everybody. There is nobody that is a winner out of road trauma and road deaths, and it’s very sad that I have to stand here again and talk about people losing their lives, mostly unnecessarily in the community.

Peters said he and the road policing team were at their “wits’ end”, and were doing “everything in the enforcement space we can” to keep roads safe.

“I can’t sit alongside you in your vehicle and make choices for you. That’s up to you,” he said.

“But what I ask is that you take and understand the responsibility of driving a motor vehicle, riding an E-scooter, riding a motorcycle, you take it seriously that when you get behind the wheel of one of those vehicles, make sure you understand what you’re taking responsibility for.

“You’re taking the responsibility for your life, but you’re also taking responsibility for other people’s lives that are using the road network.”

There have been 39 deaths on WA roads so far this year, which made Peters “deeply concerned”.

After more than a week of counting, Labor’s Geoff Baker has officially secured a second term in South Perth.

The ABC called the seat for Baker on Monday afternoon with more than 83 per cent of the votes counted and many postal and absentee votes breaking Baker’s way over his Liberal opponent and City of South Perth Deputy Mayor Bronwyn Waugh.

Geoff Baker on the campaign trail in South Perth.Credit: Hamish Hastie

Waugh recorded a swing of 9.1 per cent toward her party, but it was not enough to topple Baker whose surprise election in the 2021 bloodbath saw him secure the seat with a margin of 10.1 per cent.

Like many Liberals vying for metro seats, Waugh did not collect as many first preference votes as anticipated, with a swing of just 5.3 per cent toward her, while Baker copped a 13.2 per cent swing away from Labor.

Greens candidate Carl Evers collected 13.2 per cent of the vote, while the Nationals’ Jeremy Miles collected 4.7 per cent in the regional party’s first tilt at the seat.

Profit margins for Australia’s airport carparks have surged over 60 per cent for the second year on the back of robust demand for travel, especially to international destinations.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) airport monitoring report for 2023-24 showed combined parking revenues at Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth hit $2.6 billion – a 24.3 per cent rise.

Melbourne had the cheapest short-term parking at $15 for 30-60 minutes, compared to $16.80 at Perth, $23.60 in Sydney and $23 in Brisbane.

For long-term parking, Melbourne was again the cheapest: $37.19 for 2-3 days, against a whopping $78.70 in Perth. Sydney at $63.17 pipped Brisbane at $60.60 in the same period.

The increase occurred “despite the four major airports collectively handling fewer passengers than before the pandemic”, the ACCC report said, as the lingering effects on consumer behaviour remain evident.

Passenger numbers grew by 13.7 per cent to 114.6 million since 2022-23 at the four airports, but remained 4.7 per cent below 2018-19 levels.

An update now on that bushfire in Ledge Point, north of Perth, which has been downgraded to a watch and act alert.

However, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services warns affected residents in the Ledge Point townsite, in an area bound by Old Ledge Point Road, Indian Ocean Drive, Bennies Road and the coast, that it is still not safe to return.

An evacuation centre remains open at the Lancelin Community Sports Centre.

For the latest information, visit Emergency WA or download the Emergency WA app from the App Store or Google Play, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Facebook, listen to ABC Local Radio, 6PR, or news bulletins.

Following on from our last post, WA’s newest ministers have spoken for the first time alongside Premier Roger Cook outside Parliament House, and were all asked what their life experience could offer the new cabinet.

Former lawyer and Upper House MP Matthew Swinbourn recounted his high school years, which were a struggle, and told a story about a year 9 teacher who had no faith he would amount to anything.

New cabinet ministers Meredith Hammat, Matt Swinbourn and Jess Stojkovski with Premier Roger Cook.Credit: Hamish Hastie

“I had a year 9 teacher who I’m thinking of right now, who told me that my chances of success, because I wasn’t doing well in school at that stage, were like 20 per cent,” he said.

“From my point of view, if you’re not doing well now, you might do it well later, and stick to your path. Don’t look around and worry about what everybody else is doing.”

Swinbourn said he would also bring his experience with his son Mitchell, who is diagnosed with a rare genetic cancer, to cabinet.

“I certainly appreciate what our system delivers and how important that is,” he said.

Kingsley MP Jess Stojkovski has been elevated from cabinet secretary to cabinet and said her experience as a town planner would hold her in good stead.

“As a former town planner, I’m pretty well versed in negotiating and talking to a wide variety of people, so I think that’ll be a good skill to bring to cabinet,” she said.

“I think when I decided in 2016 to put my hand up for politics, it was just to get elected. So this is beyond anything I expected, and I’m very, very thankful for that.”

Girrawheen MP Meredith Hammat was the former boss of Unions WA before winning her seat in 2021.

“I spent more than two decades advocating for the needs of everyday, working people. I think I’ve proven myself to be a strong advocate in that role,” she said.

In a shock move, Cook elevated his former chief of staff – but first-time MP – Daniel Pastorelli to cabinet secretary, which is considered a stepping stone to a ministerial position.

Cook defended Pastorelli’s quick ascent.

“If it does rustle feathers, it’s good. People I think should be put on notice that we expect people to work hard and to perform well, and we wanted to make sure that this was a cabinet which was a combination of experience and strength but also energy and renewal,” he said.

Forrestfield MP Stephen Price was endorsed as the new speaker, replacing Michelle Roberts, who retired at the election.

Cook will announce portfolio allocations on Tuesday morning.

While the state election might feel like a lifetime ago to many now (nine days and counting), there are still some seats that are yet to be called, with counting still underway.

Over the weekend, three tight contests were called including Fremantle, where Labor minister Simone McGurk has just held on to her seat.

Simone McGurk may have narrowly survived an upset in Fremantle.Credit: Mark Naglazas

Labor also won the seat of Kimberley, bringing their total number in the lower house so far to 43. The Liberals have been declared the winners of Murray-Wellington, bringing their number of seats to six.

There are still six seats in doubt, including South Perth, Pilbara, Kalamunda, Kalgoorlie, Albany and Warren-Blackwood.

Now that McGurk has been declared the winner for Fremantle, Premier Roger Cook is expected to announce his new ministry tomorrow.

With three ministers leaving at the end of the last term, three new cabinet members have just been named: Meredith Hammat, Jessica Stojkovski and Matthew Swinbourn.

Returning to the bushfire that is raging north of Perth near Ledge Point.

9 News Perth reporter Sarah Smith is at the scene, watch the latest update below:

The horror run of tragedy on our roads continues, with WA Police just confirming two teenage boys, aged 16 and 17, were killed yesterday after the motorcycle they were on collided with a ute.

The incident occurred on North West Coastal Highway in Roebourne around 6am.

The two teenagers were declared dead at the scene.

The 38-year-old driver of the ute was uninjured.

It brings the WA road toll for Sunday to five, after three people aged in their 20s were killed in a crash east of Armadale around 3pm.

Sticking with Labor’s caucus meeting, two high-profile MPs have delivered frank assessments of areas where Labor struggled at the March 8 poll.

Fresh from a close call retaining her seat against teal-style Independent Kate Hullett, a relieved Fremantle MP Simone McGurk said the swing against her was the result of communication of her party’s environmental credentials and the policies themselves.

Minister Simone McGurk arrving at Parliament.Credit: Hamish Hastie

Hullett ran strongly on housing and climate change to great effect in the electorate.

McGurk said Labor had done a lot in the environment space, including stopping logging and in pushing for a clean energy transition, but there was more to be done.

“There are clearly high expectations, particularly around climate change and the environment more generally,” she said.

“I think people expect that governments can walk and chew gum at the same time, can create and protect jobs as well as look after the environment.”

In the regions Labor’s vote was decimated leading the loss of seats like Murray-Wellington, Warren-Blackwood and Albany.

Retiring Agricultural region MP Darren West said there were two issues that hurt his party in the regions; firearms reform and cultural heritage.

He said letters being sent to firearms owners to surrender recently purchased guns last month did not help nor did Toodyay resident Tony Maddox’s fine handed down by courts for breaching cultural heritage laws on February 17.