As it happened: WA news on Tuesday, July 29

WA Police Minister Paul Papalia has fielded questions this afternoon about a Kwinana-bound oil tanker that Ukrainian campaigners claim is carrying Russian crude.

The Seferis has been sitting around 10 kilometres off the coast of City Beach for two days now after departing India earlier this month. The Greek-flagged vessel contains oil from Jamnagar refinery in India, which processes Russian crude.

The oil tanker off the WA coast on Monday afternoon.Credit: 9 News Perth

Australia has sanctions imposed on Russian imports in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These include restrictions on importing, purchasing and transporting oil that originated in Russia.

Papalia said he was unable to intervene in the Commonwealth matter, but said everyone in the western world should be alert to the threat of Russia getting around sanctions by “sneaky means”.

A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, regrettably, the mechanisms Australia would need to track and monitor all energy products via third countries are not in place in those countries.

“We are evaluating options to place further pressure on Russia’s oil revenues,” they said.

“We remain steadfast in our support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine.

“We will continue taking action to deny Russia access to Australia’s markets and ensure Australia does not inadvertently fund Russia’s war machine.”

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

Here’s what made headlines today:

• A 59-year-old man will front court today, accused of assaulting an airline crew member at Perth Airport two weeks ago.

• West Coast young gun Harley Reid has confirmed he suffered a season-ending ankle injury during Saturday’s loss to the Fremantle Dockers at Optus Stadium.

• New research has found WA schools are organising students into classes based on their perceived academic ability – despite evidence this is not best practice.

• WA Liberal Party disunity over net zero is causing dangerous delays to renewable investment and is of questionable timing given the national Coalition’s turmoil over the issue, the Conservation Council of WA says.

• WA Police have launched a homicide investigation into the mystery death of a Perth grandfather in the Perth semi-rural suburb of Bedfordale.

• A Greek-flagged tanker sitting off the coast of Perth could be laden with fuel refined from Russian crude oil, which would bypass sanctions in place since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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

WA Police Minister Paul Papalia has fielded questions this afternoon about a Kwinana-bound oil tanker that Ukrainian campaigners claim is carrying Russian crude.

The Seferis has been sitting around 10 kilometres off the coast of City Beach for two days now after departing India earlier this month. The Greek-flagged vessel contains oil from Jamnagar refinery in India, which processes Russian crude.

The oil tanker off the WA coast on Monday afternoon.Credit: 9 News Perth

Australia has sanctions imposed on Russian imports in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These include restrictions on importing, purchasing and transporting oil that originated in Russia.

Papalia said he was unable to intervene in the Commonwealth matter, but said everyone in the western world should be alert to the threat of Russia getting around sanctions by “sneaky means”.

A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, regrettably, the mechanisms Australia would need to track and monitor all energy products via third countries are not in place in those countries.

“We are evaluating options to place further pressure on Russia’s oil revenues,” they said.

“We remain steadfast in our support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine.

“We will continue taking action to deny Russia access to Australia’s markets and ensure Australia does not inadvertently fund Russia’s war machine.”

WA Police have launched a homicide investigation into the mystery death of a Perth grandfather in the Perth semi-rural suburb of Bedfordale.

Elmars Kalejs, 53, was found unconscious and lying next to his car with significant head injuries in the Settlers’ Common Environmental Centre carpark, near Trundle Trail, on April 18.

WA homicide detectives are appealing for information to solve how Perth grandfather, Elmars Kalejs, died.

Two months later, he died from his injuries in hospital, with his family perplexed as to what he was doing in the area.

Detective Senior Sergeant Jarrod Manson, at a press conference today, said even the smallest piece of information could hold the key to providing some answers to Kalejs’ family.

“Somebody out there may know what happened, and exactly how Mr Kalejs sustained these injuries. We want to find that explanation, and we believe that’s possible with the help of the community,” he said.

WA Liberal Party disunity over net zero is causing dangerous delays to renewable investment and is of questionable timing given the national Coalition’s turmoil over the issue, the Conservation Council of WA says.

At the weekend the state party voted to dump its net zero by 2050 policy at a meeting hosted by federal member Andrew Hastie.

The policy is non-binding on the state’s parliamentary party members, and party leader Basil Zempilas on both Monday and Tuesday was forced to confirm the parliamentary party continued to support the net zero by 2050 target “status quo”.

“It is not a requirement that everybody agrees and is on the same page with absolutely everything. We are a membership-based organisation. We welcome a variety and a range of views,” he said.

CCWA executive director Matt Roberts said such “broad church” explanations were cynical and did not stack up when the nation and its people and industries needed certainty enabling swift takeup of renewables.

“The reality is that there is a point of difference within the Liberal Party that has created uncertainty which damages the renewable energy market, causes confusion and has the potential to slow the transition,” he said.

“We need leadership from within the Liberal Party to give a clear position … not just media statements but a clear policy position that the whole party is backing in, so industry and the public can have assurances about what the Liberal Party stands for.”

Turning to education news now and new research has found WA schools are organising students into classes based on their perceived academic ability – despite evidence this is not best practice.

Lead author Olivia Johnston said student abilities were not static and developed over time.

“Schools are busy places and there’s a lot of competing pressures,” she said.

“Forming class groups is one decision they make in a myriad of decisions, but it can have far-reaching academic and social impacts for students.

“Class grouping by ability does not improve overall student academic outcomes and there are equity concerns associated with the practice.”

Johnston said more flexible and inclusive grouping practices enabled schools to ensure students are not “locked in” to lower ability groups.

The findings form part of a three-year research project led by ECU’s School of Education.

Data from the first year of the study included a survey that went to every secondary school in Western Australia and most Queensland secondary schools.

Of the 147 participant secondary schools, 92 confirmed using ability grouping in year 7 to 9.

Schools were largely looking into NAPLAN achievement data as the key indicator of academic ability.

“Secondary schools that have programs for academically gifted students can face the added burden of managing parents pushing for their child to get a place in extension classes,” Johnston said.

West Coast young gun Harley Reid has confirmed he suffered a season-ending ankle injury during Saturday’s loss to the Fremantle Dockers at Optus Stadium.

It’s understood he has low-level syndesmosis, sometimes referred to as a high ankle sprain.

With four games remaining in the season, and the Eagles sitting at the bottom of the ladder, Reid posted to his 134,000 Instagram followers last night.

“Not how I wanted the season to end and not the season everyone was hoping for. Very grateful for the fans who have showed up week in week out. We’ll keep building together. BRB,” he said.

There’s commuter pain in Perth’s east this morning, with a vehicle rollover and seperate crash impacting the Roe Highway in both directions.

Main Roads said southbound drivers near High Wycombe should consider exiting the highway as traffic is heavy on approach. A single lane has just been re-opened, but emergency crews remain on site.

A crash in the northbound lanes at the same location has also closed the right lane.

A 59-year-old man will front court today, accused of assaulting an airline crew member at Perth Airport two weeks ago.

A Queensland man is scheduled to appear before the Perth Magistrates Court today.Credit: AFP

The Australian Federal Police alleged the Queensland man refused a crew member’s instruction to take his seat as a flight to Brisbane was preparing for departure because he wanted to use the bathroom.

The man then allegedly pushed the crew member, and the incident was reported to the flight captain, who requested the AFP attend the gate and remove the man from the plane.

AFP officers removed the man – who was allegedly uncooperative with police – from the plane and he was charged with one count of assaulting a crew member.

Here’s what’s making news across the country and around the world:

• Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is under threat from an emerging populist bloc on her party’s right flank, threatening splinters on its contentious net zero emissions pledge, woke culture and immigration as MPs fear a further slump in the polls.
• The incoming chief of US Navy operations has warned the US will not be able to fulfil its AUKUS obligations without doubling its submarine-building capacity, in a fresh sign of the doubts over whether the agreement can be honoured.
• The US president has called on Israel to speed up the flow of food to Gaza and set a new timeframe for Russia to end the war in Ukraine, intensifying his demands on both global flashpoints.

Trump has failed to bring peace to Gaza, where children like 18-month-old Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq has gone from 9kg to 6kg since an Israeli blockade began.Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images