As it happened: WA news on Tuesday, November 26

We’re bringing our blog to a close for today, thanks for joining us.

However, we will leave you with two breaking stories, the first of which concerns the biggest headline of the day – polling which spruiked Basil Zempilas as an electoral saviour for the WA Liberal Party and sparked an (ultimately unsuccessful) leadership challenge.

Well, we can now reveal the polling in question was facilitated by the marketing company owned by Zempilas’ mayoral campaign manager, Cam Sinclair.

Sinclair is a longtime Liberal party member and runs Perth agency Ammo Marketing, which helped build both Zempilas’ Churchlands campaign website and Liberal leader Libby Mettam’s website.

He confirmed to WAtoday that his agency was behind the Sodali & Co polling but that it was commissioned by an Ammo Marketing client and was provided only to them – not Zempilas.

Read the full story here.

Meanwhile, as we leave you, a bushfire emergency warning remains in place for parts of Wedge Island, Cooljarloo and Nambung as a fire burns out of control.

Indian Ocean Drive is closed between Ocean Place and Cervantes Road, and an evacuation centre has been opened at Juren bay Sport and Recreation Centre on Bashford Street. Cervantes Primary School will also be closed on Wednesday.

Remember, for the most up-to-date information, visit Emergency WA, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Facebook, listen to ABC Local Radio, 6PR, or news bulletins.

Thank you again for joining us, and we’ll see you tomorrow morning for more news you need to know.

Hofmann Engineering has been fined $567,000 (and ordered to pay nearly $30,000 in costs) over the 2019 death of a worker at its Bassendean workshop.

The company pleaded guilty in Perth Magistrates Court yesterday to failing to provide a safe workplace and thereby causing the death.

In May 2019, the worker was welding at the fabrication workshop and had to work beneath the boom of a 1.35-tonne welding manipulator, which suddenly fell and crushed him.

The court heard there was no manufacturer’s manual or maintenance logbook kept for the 40-year-old machine and no maintenance or inspections by a qualified fitter.

The only checks were visual pre-operation checks: checking buttons, ensuring the machine went up and down and that it was not making any unusual noises.

WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said the machinery had also been sitting unused in storage for several years, exposed to dust and dirt.

Independent experts inspected it and confirmed the threads on the nuts holding up the boom were so worn they could not maintain the load.

Grease on the lead screw was “grossly contaminated” to the point of compromising the screw.

North said the tragic outcome should serve as a warning to all employers with heavy machinery at their workplaces to inspect and maintain them.

Information about machinery safety is available on the department’s website.

To some sports news, and you may have seen a familiar face while browsing the headlines today – especially if you’re a West Coast Eagles fan.

Yes, former Eagles star Dean Cox has been elevated to coach the Sydney Swans following the retirement of John Longmire. Cox has been an assistant coach at the Swans since joining back in 2017.

Former Eagles star Dean Cox has been appointed coach of the Sydney Swans.Credit: Rhett Wyman

However, dear reader, cast your mind back to earlier this year, when Cox’s old club was deep in the doldrums and searching for a new coach of their own following the resignation of Adam Simpson.

Cox was naturally among the names being bandied about to fill the role. He’d had a stellar career with the Eagles as a versatile ruckman, ending his playing career at West Coast – and in the AFL – after 290 games.

He was also among the coaching group of one of the teams that would eventually make it to the 2024 AFL grand final, so his leadership credentials were there.

But Cox wasn’t keen. Following Longmire’s announcement today, the question was naturally asked: did Cox know a better gig was around the corner?

Not if you ask the big man himself (which some journos did at a press conference earlier today).

Cox reckons he was in the dark about Longmire’s plans when he was in the mix for the Eagles coaching gig:

There was nothing in place through that process … it was a family decision; the ability to really enjoy where we are as a family, and with the possibility of coaching this great club one day.

So, there was nothing sort of documented, I told West Coast through the process once, and that was it. 

So from there it was about trying to make sure that– we had had a footy club that we needed to make sure that we could play our best footy through that process and, if this (the coaching role) was to eventuate then great, and it has, and I’m looking forward to it.

The Eagles eventually appointed former Richmond assistant coach Andrew McQualter as head coach from a shortlist that included Collingwood assistant coach Hayden Skipworth and Geelong assistant Steven King.

Basil Zempilas has made some further comments about today’s leadership malarkey at a snap press conference held outside his Lord Mayoral office council house.

Perth Lord Mayor and WA Liberals candidate for Churchlands Basil Zempilas speaks to media on Tuesday.Credit: 9 News Perth

The Seven West Media personality said he had been given the name of the mystery businessman who commissioned the polling that triggered the leadership challenge but it was “not his name to share”.

Liberal leader Libby Mettam said earlier today there was public interest in this businessman coming forward and when pressed on those comments Zempilas said he “might” share it with her.

“I just spoke to Libby 20 minutes ago, and we spoke for about 20 minutes. It didn’t come up,” he said.

“I might discuss it with her, but she hasn’t asked, and I don’t feel like it’s my information to share.”

Back to the Liberals’ leadership havoc from today and the mysterious poll that painted Perth Lord Mayor and Churchlands candidate Basil Zempilas as an election saviour has finally claimed a scalp – just not the one the poll’s creator intended.

Liberal Mining and Pastoral Region MLC Neil Thomson.Credit: Facebook

Opposition planning spokesman Neil Thomson has announced he will leave the backbench after his unsuccessful attempt to create dual leadership positions that would have allowed Zempilas to become the campaign leader of the Liberal party heading into the March election.

Thomson confirmed to WAtoday he was the MP that moved the motion that was ultimately defeated 9 votes to 1.

He said he thought Basil would be a better leader during the campaign but respected the wishes of his colleagues and therefore had decided to take himself off the frontbench.

He said he would now get 100 per cent behind Mettam.

Residents of the fishing village of Wedge Island have been told to evacuate as an out-of-control bushfire bears down.

An emergency warning is in place for parts of Wedge Island, Cooljarloo and Nambung, extending inland to Indian Ocean Drive and north to Bibby Road including Nambung National Park.

Wedge Island emergency level bushfire, November 26, 2024. Credit: 9 News Perth

An evacuation centre has been opened at Jurien Bay Sport & Recreation Centre.

Residents are urged to leave now and head north to the nearest town of Cervantes.

A Watch and Act alert in place for neighbouring areas: parts of Hill River, Badgingarra, Cooljarloo and Cataby.

Nambung National Park has been closed and Indian Ocean Drive is closed between K W Road and Cervantes Road. Meadows Road is also closed. Motorists are asked to avoid the area, reduce speed and drive carefully, especially along Indian Ocean Drive.

Firefighters are onsite with aerial support.

Keep up to date: Visit Emergency WA, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Facebook, listen to Radio 6PR, ABC Local Radio or news bulletins.

Wedge Island fire, November 26, 2024Credit: 9 News Perth

Wedge Island fire, November 26, 2024.Credit: 9 News Perth

Federal Liberal candidate for Forrest, Ben Small, has revealed he was the politician who gave the controversial polling to WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam.

The polling showed the party would fare better at the March state election if Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas was the leader, however a party meeting this morning voted emphatically to shut down a motion for Zempilas to head its campaign.

It’s still unknown who the mystery ‘businessman with Liberal ties’ who commissioned the polling was. Mettam has labelled it ‘flawed and clearly biased’.

Here’s a statement from Small:

As the volunteer Finance Chair for the WA Liberal Party, I have built extensive relationships with the local business community.

Some time ago, I was presented with polling research by a business investor.

I undertook to pass that research to Libby Mettam, which I did promptly and privately.

I have sought to protect the interests of the Liberal Party in not distributing the polling to anyone except Libby Mettam.

The Party has today made its position very clear in support of Libby’s leadership, and I whole-heartedly support that outcome.

The two teenagers accused of sparking a bushfire in Perth’s south still raging now were playing with a lighter and deodorant can after school at their semi-rural property yesterday when a small explosion caused flames to spread quickly.

The fire in Champion Lakes burnt through more than 150 hectares of land, closed Tonkin Highway, killed livestock and forced people to evacuate their homes.

It continues to burn out of control nearly 24 hours later, with a Watch and Act alert currently in place.

The 14-year-olds appeared in Perth Children’s Court just now charged with wilfully lighting a fire.

Their lawyer explained the teenagers did everything they could to stop the fire before calling triple zero to ask for help.

The pair were granted bail after pleading guilty.

Their home is now too damaged to live in.

These images have just come in from 9 News Perth’s helicopter:

Smoke in the area. Credit: 9 News Perth

Residents evacuate. Credit: 9 News Perth

Residents evacuate. Credit: 9 News Perth

Basil Zempilas says he backs Libby Mettam to stay leader of the WA Liberal Party and will not challenge for the position.

“I’m a bit confused in some ways,” he said of the furore surrounding him today.

Zempilas said he was told on Tuesday morning who had instigated controversial polling around the future of the WA Liberal leader, but would not reveal who did it when asked by 6PR’s Gary Adshead who had bankrolled it.

Basil Zempilas.Credit: Trevor Collens

“It wasn’t me,” he said.

The candidate for the seat of Churchlands then reverted back to the old cliche - “the only poll that matters is on election day”.

Zempilas said he would not launch a challenge for the leadership.

Asked if it was a bit weird for the poll to be done by a secretive businessman who did not want to be named, Zempilas said it wouldn’t be right for him to say who he’d been told was behind it.

The prominent media personality said the whole saga today was weird.

“I have never been the one pushing this,” Zempilas said.

An upbeat Libby Mettam has just fronted media following her resounding leadership win at a Liberal Party meeting held at Parliament House on Tuesday.

Mettam on Tuesday.

Mettam said the lack of a no-confidence motion and the emphatic defeat of a motion to establish a campaign leader position (which could have been taken by Perth Lord Mayor and Churchlands candidate Basil Zempilas) was a clear mandate to support her leadership.

She also lashed the internal “mischief” that led to the poll that triggered today’s leadership challenge.

Her comments on the challenge:

I wouldn’t have put up a fight if I didn’t think I could win it, it was important for the people of the Liberal Party, but more broadly, the people of Western Australia, that we were able to put a line in the sand.

I gave that opportunity to my parliamentary colleagues to move a vote of no confidence in me. No one did, and I have the support of my team. We are united, and we are focused on a better future for Western Australians.

On the mystery Perth “businessman” who commissioned the polling:

It would be of benefit to the people of Western Australia for the individual businessmen to come forward … there is some great work that can be done by journalists of this state to find out who … is trying to intervene in this way.

Put up or shut up. It’s quite simple, and what we have seen with a poll that has no credibility is that there has been an unnecessary focus on internal matters at a time when Western Australians are struggling to put food on the table.

On Basil Zempilas:

He’s an outstanding candidate. He has a high profile. Western Australians obviously recognise him through his high-profile role, and he will be a crucial part of the WA Liberal Party team going forward.

He has only pledged allegiance to me. One hundred per cent support. He has stated publicly: leadership is not something he is thinking about.