Labor bets on Basil not being to everyone’s taste

Labor has formed a view off the back of doorknocking and research that Basil Zempilas is a polarising figure among voters

Liberals candidate for Churchlands Basil Zempilas with WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam. Picture: Paul Garvey

Basil Zempilas was supposed to be the great hope of Western Australia’s embattled Liberal Party, but so far he has featured more prominently in the Labor campaign than in his own party’s efforts.

WA Premier Roger Cook spoke at length about Mr Zempilas – a prominent WA television figure who has been lord mayor of the City of Perth since 2020 – at his press conference on the first official day of the campaign, and Mr Zempilas’s likeness features prominently in Labor’s attack advertisements.

Labor has formed a view, based on doorknocking and research, that Mr Zempilas is a polarising figure among voters, and is now trying to deliberately exploit that both on the campaign trail and in its material.

On Sunday, however, Mr Zempilas made his first official media appearance of the campaign when he appeared alongside Liberal leader Libby Mettam to announce the party’s latest health policy.

Supporters of Mr Zempilas late last year attempted to roll Ms Mettam for the prominent “Perthonality”, but it was all smiles between the pair as Mr Zempilas spoke glowingly of the “remarkable” job his leader was doing.

Labor’s targeting of him, he said, was an attempt to distract from its own shortcomings.

“If you hear the Premier or a minister mention my name, they are doing that because they want you to take your eye off their chronic un-delivery,” he said.

“They have botched health, the cost of living is through the roof. They use my name as a diversionary tactic to take people’s eye away from the ball, and they do that by playing the man and not the ball.”

Basil Zempilas, with WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam, is the red-hot favourite to claim the seat of Churchlands in Perth’s wealthy western suburbs. Picture: Paul Garvey

Mr Zempilas is the red-hot favourite to claim the seat of Churchlands in Perth’s wealthy western suburbs, one of a host of once blue-ribbon seats lost in the extraordinary 2021 electoral defeat to Mark McGowan.

While Ms Mettam hit out at the “cowards in the shadows” in the aftermath of last year’s failed leadership coup, she said Mr Zempilas was an important part of the Liberals’ election push.

“He’s an asset to our team and Roger Cook will do anything to distract from his own failings and appalling record in government,” Ms Mettam said.

“Let’s not forget as either health minister or as Premier, Roger Cook is responsible for breaking our state’s health system.”

Mr Zempilas’ defence of his leader came after Mr Cook on Saturday attacked the Liberals as the “laziest opposition” in WA history.

The Premier was highly critical of Ms Mettam’s decision not to appear before the main press pack on Saturday, choosing instead to campaign in WA’s southwest, including her own seat of Vasse.

Mr Cook on Sunday said the “lazy” slur was not directed at Ms Mettam personally.

WA Premier Roger Cook, Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson and member for Perth John Carey inspect plans for an overhaul of Royal Perth Hospital. Picture: Paul Garvey

“It’s not an attack on Libby, I respect Libby, she’s got a tough job. Leader of the Opposition is the hardest job in the state when it comes to politics,” Mr Cook said.

“But the fact of the matter remains that the Liberals just didn’t present yesterday, the first Saturday in the campaign, and that’s disappointing … They don’t have the experience, they don’t have the commitment, they don’t have a plan.”

Mr Zempilas said Mr Cook should be “embarrassed” by his criticism of Ms Mettam.

“Libby Mettam has been outnumbered with a massive shortage of resources through no fault of her own, and the extraordinary job she has done to lead the Liberal Party with a lack of resources and a lack of team members is nothing short of inspiring for all of the Liberal candidates,” he said.

“She has been incredible. And Roger Cook should be embarrassed by what he had to say yesterday, quite frankly.”

Both parties announced health policies on Sunday, with Labor promising $104m for a new emergency department at the ageing Royal Perth Hospital and the Liberals unveiling a plan to reduce ambulance ramping by covering the cost of diverting non-urgent cases to urgent care clinics.