Zempilas apologises for campaign content on Perth lord mayor Facebook page

Perth lord mayor-turned-Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas has formally apologised for breaching local government rules after using his council-linked social media profile in his campaign for state government.

Zempilas stepped down as lord mayor as soon as his tight victory in Churchlands for the WA Liberals was confirmed in March, which complicated a Local Government Standards Panel ruling that he provide a public apology for the minor breach.

Former Perth lord mayor-turned-Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas.Credit: Cameron Myles

His apology was published on the City of Perth’s Facebook page late Tuesday afternoon.

“A complaint was made to the Local Government Standards Panel, in which is (sic) was alleged that I contravened [local government regulations], when I did not maintain an appropriate division between my position as Lord Mayor of the City of Perth and a Liberal candidate for pre-selection in certain campaign material,” Zempilas said in the post.

“The panel found that I breached Regulation 18 as my conduct was improper and undertaken for my own personal advantage.

“I acknowledge that I should not have used my title of Lord Mayor in such a manner and I now apologise to the public and my fellow councillors.”

WAtoday understands the complaint was lodged in early 2024 by Naijiao “Jason” Bo, a former City of Perth candidate who ran alongside lord mayoral hopeful Sandy Anghie in 2023.

The panel ordered Zempilas to issue a public apology in the council chamber after the minor breach of local government rules that it said blurred the line between his mayoral and candidate roles.

The deadline was April 22.

One of the Facebook posts referred to the Local Government’s Standards Panel.

The issue became election campaign fodder for Labor, which started a website timer counting the days waiting for Zempilas’ apology.

“He should publish an apology on one of these various social media platforms that he gets so confused on at the moment because he can’t remember if he’s the Lord Mayor or a Liberal candidate – but he should post a written apology to the people of Western Australia,” Premier Roger Cook said in February.

The ruling was leaked to WAtoday around the same time as Zempilas’ Churchlands campaign launch, and while he accepted the findings, he fumed about them being leaked before he had a chance to assess them.

At the time, he phoned the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries director-general for an explanation.

Zempilas also referred the leak to the Corruption and Crime Commission.

A City of Perth spokeswoman said Zempilas was unable to comply with the panel’s order of a public apology in the chamber because of his election to state parliament on March 8, but he was able to issue it on the city’s Facebook page.

“The standards panel ordered that in the event that Mr Zempilas did not make the apology, as directed, that the City of Perth CEO was required to publish the apology on the city’s, website, Facebook page, and in a City of Perth newsletter,” he said.

“The CEO has completed the publication as required.”

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