As it happened: WA news on Wednesday, September 11

Good afternoon readers, and thanks as always for joining us.

We’ll be back tomorrow with a new live blog.

Good night until then.

The head of the state’s peak advocacy body for firearm owners has defended his organisation’s $50,000 donation to the WA Nationals in the middle of a fiery debate around the government’s gun reforms.

Earlier today, as we reported in our 3.05pm post, Police Minister Paul Papalia blasted the Nationals for accepting the donation and accused them of being owned by the gun lobby.

Sporting Shooters Association of WA president Paul Fitzgerald told WAtoday there were “no strings attached” to the donation but it should not be a shock to anyone that his group would actively support a political party that shared its position on gun reforms.

“We made the decision independent of the National Party,” he said.

“We need to assist those politicians who want to represent our responsible view for gun ownership.

“There’s no hiding from it nowadays, and it’s just a cheap political game from the minister.”

Fitzgerald said his group’s position was that the reforms, which have already passed, impact law-abiding gun owners unfairly and that Labor guillotined debate of the laws in parliament.

“We are not some radical gun lobby. We represent the 95,000 people who have satisfied the requirements under the Firearms Act to have a firearm licence,” he said.

Fremantle icon Little Creatures is set to open a new brewery at Elizabeth Quay in the Nine The Esplanade building.

More than 500 square metres will be reserved for internal dining, brewing and taproom space, while 390 square metres of alfresco space will overlook the quay.

An artist’s impression of the Little Creatures venue at Elizabeth Quay.

The construction of the Nine the Esplanade is due to be completed by early 2025.

Sticking with question time and a dorothy dixer about the WA government’s gun reforms has descended into a shouting match and Police Minister Paul Papalia being chided by Speaker Michelle Roberts for referring to outgoing Central Wheatbelt MP Mia Davies incorrectly.

Papalia was having another crack at the WA Nationals for accepting a $50,000 donation from the Sporting Shooters Association of WA in August and accusing them of being a “wholly-owned subsidiary of the gun lobby” (we posted about this earlier today).

WA opposition leader Mia Davies. Credit: Peter de Kruijff

He said it was “appalling and shocking” and called Davies “candidate for Bullwinkel”, referring to her candidacy for the seat of Bullwinkel at the upcoming election, before being drowned out by shouting in the house.

Davies responded over the din: “I’m standing up for my constituents, and I’d do it every day.”

Roberts told Papalia if he was referring to Davies in the chamber he should refer to her as the member for Central Wheatbelt.

Papalia then withdrew the comment.

Premier Roger Cook says his government will not seek to reverse a decision by the WA Institute of Sport to end its high-performance netball program after 40 years.

Netball WA confirmed earlier today that the state’s peak sporting body would end the netball program which would be a blow to the sport in WA.

Netball WA confirmed the state’s peak sporting body would end the netball program which would be a blow to the sport in WA.Credit: Television

When questioned about the decision by Roe MP Peter Rundle in question time this afternoon Cook waxed lyrical about his government’s support of grassroots sports like netball.

However, he confirmed he would not urge the agency to reverse its decision but would be briefed on the issue and assess whether any further action would be required.

“I won’t be intervening or making decision on behalf of the WAIS, they’re guided by a board and they’ll make the decisions they will,” he said.

Netball WA chief executive Simone Hansen said they would have to explore new ways to develop talent in the state without any reduction in quality of the program.

“This will mean we must increase our investment across strength and conditioning, medical, athlete wellbeing, nutrition and performance psychology, which will have a significant financial impact on our business,” she said.

“We are extremely concerned that our athletes do not have the facilities they require at the Gold Netball Centre, in particular strength and conditioning facilities.

“We will look to work with the state government, VenuesWest and WAIS to determine what the short and long-term solutions are before the transition period ends in April 2025.”

To WA parliament now where the opposition has kicked off question time by querying Transport Minister Rita Saffioti over Metronet cost blowouts and their impact on inflation in WA.

Opposition leader Shane Love said every infrastructure project managed by the government has had huge blowouts, and he asked Saffioti whether she would take responsibility for fuelling inflation in WA.

The questions elicited a typically spirited response from Saffioti who said the reality was the cost of doing anything from building a pergola or buying a car had increased following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roger Cook has fielded a Dorothy dixer question from Hillarys MP Caitlin Collins about the government’s cost of living efforts where he revealed 28,000 people had signed up for the free VacSwim program announced on Monday and 150,000 Zoo tickets had been assigned since Sunday.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti in parliament earlier this year.

Opposition leader Shane Love has just wrapped up a press conference outside Parliament House where he was forced to defend his position on the WA government’s gun reforms in the face of a recent $50,000 donation from the Sporting Shooters Association of WA to the Nationals.

Earlier this morning Police Minister Paul Papalia criticised Love and the WA Nationals for accepting the donation from the group in August which was advocating against the gun reforms.

Love said he was only made aware of the donation, which has been public on the donation register for more than three weeks, at the press conference due to journalists’ questions.

He said regardless of the donation the Nationals had been resolute in their opposition to the reforms for more than a year.

“There’s no conflict of interest,” he said.

“I actually wasn’t even aware of the $50,000 donation, I’m not someone that’s involved directly with fundraising discussions.”

Love revealed that the Sporting Shooters Association of WA attended the WA Nationals annual conference earlier this month.

Love also lamented the PR stunt showing the destruction of guns by exploding them.

“It’s just ridiculous. The minister is on some sort of Boyzone publicity trail here,” he said.

The Australian Nursing Federation’s WA branch has returned to the bargaining table with the state government over nurses’ pay and conditions.

And recently reinstated secretary, Mark Olson, has come out of the gates strong, demanding a 20 per cent wage increase over three years – nearly double what other public sector workers have received.

The new log of claims also wants free parking and public transport for nurses and help with HECS debts.

WA nurses received a three per cent annual pay rise in 2022 and 2023, along with a one-off $3000 cost-of-living payment. It followed a strike in October 2022 which failed to improve the state government’s offer and resulted in the ANF being fined $350,000 by the Industrial Relations Commission.

Olson said limited wage growth in recent years had left the workforce in disrepair.

“A 20 per cent pay rise will ensure WA is a top-tier competitor in the nation again for attracting existing nurses and midwives, as well as inspire students to take on the profession,” he said.

“This, paired with a range of allowances and improvements in targeted conditions will put WA back on the map for nurses and midwives looking for work.”

Nurses in New South Wales went on strike this week, demanding a 15 per cent pay rise over three years, after rejecting the state government’s 10.5 per cent offer.

Nurses striking for better conditions in October 2022. Credit: Cameron Myles

Not content with just crushing guns collected during the state’s voluntary buyback scheme, WA Police have opted for a more explosive option.

As part of its PR push to spruik the success of the six-month buyback, WA Police this morning released footage of the destruction of some of the 38,442 weapons collected which featured a huge explosion at an undisclosed location.

The guns being destroyed in an explosion at an undisclosed location in WA. Credit:

The footage also included guns being destroyed by an industrial crusher and shredder.

WA Police have not responded to questions about why they opted to explode guns over crushing them.

Nearly 20,500 gun licence holders handed back the weapons over the course of the buyback period, which closed on August 31, reducing the number of gun owners in the state from 88,132 to 82,065.

Around 320,000 guns remain in the community.

The state set aside $64.3 million for the buyback program but so far, only $11 million has been spent with Police Minister Paul Papalia saying that would likely increase to $15 million.

The girlfriend of a man allegedly murdered at the weekend has become the third person charged over his death.

Joshua Standring, 41, died inside his Greenfields home on Sunday morning around 1.45am following a serious assault.

Joshua Standring died on Sunday.

Shane Pierce, 54, and Ross Weir, 51, from Barragup were charged with his murder on Tuesday. Now, WA Police have just confirmed Standring’s partner, whose friends claim he proposed to the day before his death, has also been charged.

The 48-year-old woman, also from Barragup, will appear in Perth Magistrates Court this morning charged with one count of murder.