’Politics is in my blood’: Zempilas expected to give WA Liberals potency

Seven broadcaster Basil Zempilas’s predicted ascent to the West Australian parliament is raising expectations of an opposition with potency.

Basil Zempilas’s intention to walk away from his other job as Lord Mayor to enter state parliament was among the worst kept secrets in Perth. Picture: Colin Murty

Seven broadcaster Basil Zempilas’s predicted ascent to the West Australian parliament is raising expectations of an opposition with potency for the first time since the state made Mark McGowan the most popular premier in Australian history.

Mr Zempilas’s intention to walk away from his other job as Lord Mayor of Perth to enter state parliament was among the worst kept secrets in Perth. On Saturday he announced he would seek preselection for the Liberals, in a front-page story in the newspaper he works for, Seven West Media’s The West Australian.

In all, Mr Zempilas’s employer published six pages of stories about him in The West Australian and the Perth Sunday Times at the weekend.

“Politics is in my blood,” he said.

Inside the WA Liberals, the ­admiring tone of some of the ­reports was seen as a partly a consequence of Mr Zempilas’s standing and broad appeal. However, it was also viewed as a sign the party will need to be clear about how to manage potential conflicts if Mr Zempilas becomes a candidate in the 2025 election. There are also predictions he could soon be a contender for leader, though the WA Liberal Party constitution explicitly prevents anyone from leading before being elected. This fact has not done much to dim speculation that Mr Zempilas could shepherd the Liberals to victory from outside parliament, as Campbell Newman did in Queensland 2012.

WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam.

Political commentator Peter Kennedy believes Mr Zempilas’s arrival on the political scene could be the shot in the arm that the WA Liberals desperately need. He said much depended on whether he and WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam were seen to work cohesively. While the WA Liberals were reduced to two lower house seats at the 2021 state election, Ms Mettam is respected for bringing stability to the party since taking over in the wake of that crushing defeat.

“The challenge is that Mr Zempilas does not cut across Libby Mettam, because that would be politically damaging. Any sign of friction or disagreement will be pounced on by Labor,” Mr ­Kennedy said.

“He is potentially a significant plus and he will bring people with him too.

“Mr Zempilas potentially makes the Liberals more potent, which state politics has been lacking for six years.”

The 52-year-old will contest the seat of Churchlands in the golden triangle of Perth real estate between the Swan River and the Indian Ocean.

These are prestige garden suburbs traditionally held by the Liberals, however, Churchlands fell to Labor in the historic landslide of 2021 when then premier McGowan enjoyed ­astonishing popularity as a result of his decision to isolate WA during Covid. He had approval ratings of up to 91 per cent.

On Saturday, Mr Zempilas fronted reporters to discuss his candidacy, but the event quickly became social media fodder when video emerged of him speaking to Channel 9 newsreader Michael Genovese before the press conference started. The short clip was interpreted as showing Mr Zempilas describing the Australian Open women’s final as “the reserves game”. Mr Zempilas and Genovese both said he was referring to Genovese’s newsreading slot as the reserves match, since it would be on at the same time as the final between Zheng Qinwen and Aryna Sabalenka.

“I’ve been there,” Mr Zempilas told Genovese in the clip, an apparent reference to the fact that he had also read the news while big sporting events were being broadcast live.

Despite the explanation, WA Premier Roger Cook could not resist making a joke on Sunday when he was rushing to finish a press conference of his own in the Perth suburb of Whitfords.

Mr Cook was due to catch a train to watch Australia in Rugby 7s at HBF Park when he told­ ­reporters: “The women’s game is at 12.45pm so that’s the one I want to get to. I actually like women’s sport”.

Later, Mr Cook said he was “not at all” nervous about Mr Zempilas’s plans to join the Liberals.