Politics
Western Australia
Updated
Roger Cook
WA seeks bigger voice in Canberra with new ‘embassy’
The office would work like the state’s overseas trade missions and would provide a permanent base for government officials and advocacy groups on “team WA” to “disrupt the thinking in Canberra that holds us back”.
- by Hamish Hastie
Latest
Exclusive
Healthcare
Super-size me? The plan to move mothers’ groups and baby check-ups out of the suburbs
Any new parent will be familiar with the small offices at which child health nurses host baby check-ups, help with breastfeeding and host mothers’ groups. But could bigger be better?
- by Hamish Hastie
Updated
Hospitals
If you can’t beat ’em: WA nurses step up pay fight with political push
The union will only move forward if the bulk of its membership supports the idea, but this is likely – and nurses’ pay would be only one part of its platform.
- by Hamish Hastie
Updated
Hospitals
Minister’s stance on ‘small’ number of sick, premature babies requiring surgery fast ‘incredibly upsetting’
Helping Little Hands’ Joanne Beedie said there was only about 30 babies impacted by moving the mums and babies hospital sounded like those lives might be less valuable.
- by Hamish Hastie
WA Liberal leader walks back Voice support
In April Mettam defied her federal party leader Peter Dutton’s position by declaring she would vote yes at the upcoming referendum but told media on Wednesday her “support was waning.”
- by Hamish Hastie
Updated
Coronavirus pandemic
Cook says WA COVID response vindicated as review heaps praise on government
The report was not a forensic deep dive into the response, but rather sought to “focus on what worked well and what could be done better in the future”.
- by Hamish Hastie
Analysis
ALP
Cook opts to burn laws rather than political capital in Aboriginal heritage backflip
Reading between the lines, Roger Cook was forced to cut his losses because he did not have enough political capital with the public to die on any hill at the moment.
- by Hamish Hastie
Updated
Indigenous
‘I’m sorry’: Roger Cook scraps WA Aboriginal cultural heritage laws
Western Australia’s 2021 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act spent six years in development but just 39 days in operation.
- by Hamish Hastie
Opinion
WA Parliament
Labor reaps what it sowed with monumental Aboriginal heritage act failure
After six years, thousands of people consulted and substantial resources expended on the process, the government has created little more than 279 pages of fire starter to get them through this cold winter.
- by Hamish Hastie
WA government says heritage law decision imminent
The WA government says a final decision about changes to its controversial cultural heritage laws will be made soon, amid reports it plans to dump the month-old legislation.
- by Aaron Bunch
Updated
Protests
WA premier demands answers from ABC bosses over protest at Woodside CEO’s home
But the public broadcaster said the Four Corners investigations team had received a tip-off to head to the address, and when they arrived police were already there “in numbers”.
- by Hamish Hastie