‘Read the room’: Premier blasts Nicheliving head after tussle with veteran reporter
West Australian Premier Roger Cook has leapt to the defence of a veteran Perth TV reporter involved in a tussle with the head of beleaguered Perth building company Nicheliving in the line of duty over the weekend.
On Saturday morning Geof Parry and a 7 News cameraman approached Nicheliving managing director Ronnie Michel-Elhaj outside his wife Natalie’s under-construction luxury Applecross property after spotting him speaking to tradesmen on the balcony.
7News Perth reporter Geof Parry and Nicheliving managing director Ronnie Michel-Elhaj.Credit: 7News Perth
Parry attempted to ask Michel-Elhaj questions about why construction continued on his wife’s property while more than 200 Nicheliving customers were still waiting for their properties to be completed up to four years after signing contracts.
The footage shows Michel-Elhaj swiping the microphone from Parry’s hand and telling the cameraman to stop filming him as Parry tries to shield the camera.
The pair then fall through a fence and to the ground and Michel-Elhaj accuses Parry of trespassing.
“I’m not trespassing, come on mate … I just wanted to ask you a few questions. This is ridiculous,” Parry responds.
Mihel-Elhaj then tries to grab the camera twice more.
Speaking at the launch of a new domestic violence awareness campaign, Cook said the behaviour was completely unacceptable.
“Violence is never OK, but we particularly deplore the fact that [this is] someone going about their work; in this case, Geof and his camera team simply asking questions consistent with their job,” he said.
Cook then lashed Mihel-Elhaj over the continued construction of the Applecross mansion.
“My message to Nicheliving is: Ronnie, read the room,” he said.
7News Perth reporter Geof Parry and Nicheliving managing director Ronnie Michel-Elhaj.Credit: 7News Perth
“It’s not OK that you look after yourself and your home when you have literally hundreds of clients that are still not being able to get into their own home that you are under contract to build.”
Parry told 6PR’s Mornings the encounter “went a bit pear-shaped” and that Mihel-Elhaj “got a bit angry”.
“I had him locked against the fence and he was holding on to me and we went through the fence,” he said.
“He says he’s got some injuries, I’ve got a couple of bruises, my injuries aren’t serious, I don’t know about his, but he has reported the matter to the police as I understand it.”
Mihel-Elhaj took to LinkedIn on Sunday to criticise Parry.
“Once again, Seven West [Media] and reporter Geof Parry have relentlessly ambushed my family and me for sensationalist purposes,” he said.
“This time, after I asked Geof not to trespass on a work site and film me, he ignored my request and continued filming.
“When I pushed the camera away to avoid being filmed, Geof pushed me, causing me to fall and sustain an injury, all so that his cameraman could continue filming.”
Mihel-Elhaj said he had reported the incident to police and he would be pressing charges against Parry and the cameraman.
Mihel-Elhaj did not respond to requests for comment and said in his LinkedIn post he had previously informed all media outlets he would not engage with press and would only publish content on his company’s website.
Police confirmed an incident at the Ardross Street address was reported that morning and inquiries continued.
Desperate Nicheliving clients were overjoyed when the Building Services Board did not renew the company’s building registration in July over financial concerns.
This would have allowed its clients to access insurance to get their homes built.
But their joy was shortlived; in August Nicheliving was granted a stay of that decision in the State Administrative Tribunal, which ensured their registration was returned until at least November when a new hearing is scheduled.
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