Perth Now
Elections are not always popularity contests
ELECTIONS are not always popularity contests. If they were, Premier Colin Barnett should probably not bother to contest next year’s state election.
WA voices give Barnett a lot to ponder
THERE is a lot for Colin Barnett to ponder when he reads our WA Speaks survey results.
Black September clouds Colin’s fate
PREMIER Colin Barnett faces arguably the most important weeks of his eight-year-tenure as he tries to convince the doubters among his parliamentary team he can win next year’s election.
Mine tax on table as Grylls fires up
SO, WHAT will the cost of political power be in next year’s state election?
Tunnel buried in Colin’s confusion
“C’MON Colin, let’s get on with it.” Little did Malcolm Turnbull know when he uttered those words he would start a sequence of events which would eventually see Dean Nalder resign.
Good time or a long time for Liberals
SO there you have it. According to my arithmetic Colin Barnett today officially breaks rival, Richard Court’s premiership record of seven years, 360 days.
PM should lead and save $200m
IF Malcolm Turnbull wants fuel the perception that our MPs no longer have the ability to represent constituents, then he should proceed with a plebiscite on same-sex marriage.
Libs need to stop the brawling now
THE best thing that could happen to Premier Colin Barnett and his Government at Tuesday’s Liberal Party weekly get together is for there to be a vote on his leadership.
Old foes threaten Barnett’s chances
THIS week’s rebirth of two political warriors — Rob Johnson and Alannah MacTiernan — has the ability to shape Western Australia’s 2017 election result.
The splinters and thorns in Barnett’s side
SEVERAL things became blindingly obvious at the weekend’s Liberal State Conference. Colin Barnett has the following thorns in his side . . .
Paper chase adds fuel to freight fire
ALANNAH MacTiernan has fought many battles as a politician. But in a few days she faces perhaps one of her more important fights.
Grylls cannot point the finger over WA’s economic woes
BRENDON Grylls has a lot of work to do selling his new plan. But in many ways he has a lot of work to do selling himself.
Jobs and economic growth top tunnels and trains
COLIN Barnett and Mark McGowan cannot wait until the 2017 state election to tell us about their respective economic plans for the future of WA.
It’s time to talk about toll roads
THE time has come to consider other funding and congestion tackling models to deter people from thinking the only way to get around in Perth is by car.
Barnett to beat Sir Charles’ milestone
ON Tuesday Colin Barnett will beat Sir Charles Court’s tenure as WA Premier, but it’s unlikely he’ll be congratulated by the late leader’s family.
McGowan faces uphill fight
IF any West Australian thinks they can now have a welcome break from electioneering, they need to think again — another campaign has just begun.
Barnett’s future decided in weeks
COLIN Barnett’s future as leader of the WA Liberal Party, and Premier of this state, will be decided within weeks.
Labor gains to be Barnett’s pains
WITH two weeks to go until polling day, what are the likely outcomes in WA? Insiders say the most likely scenario is that two seats will change hands in the west.
Address WA’s unfair GST share or risk the wrath of voters
MEMO to Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten: Ahead of your anticipated visits to Perth this week, announce a genuine review into the GST distribution model.
Family feud fuels Liberal poll dive
TREASURER Mike Nahan and Transport Minister Dean Nalder need to shake hands, put their differences aside and get on with the business of governance.
Libs ponder who replaces Barnett
IN Colin Barnett’s vision of a perfect political world, his eventual end as premier will be an amicable process whereby he choses the timing of his departure.
Nationals set up Barnett’s downfall
The WA National Party handed Colin Barnett the premiership in 2008. Now, they’re threatening to bring about his demise.
Limping Premier’s best foot forward
AT A WA Liberal party room meeting on Tuesday, Premier Colin Barnett finally decided to address the elephant in the room — rumours surrounding his health.
Election hangs on persuasive power
THE expected inclusion of Western Power on the Premier’s asset sales hit list effectively makes next year’s State Election a referendum on privatisation.
State finances Barnett’s Achilles Heel
DON’T expect bells and whistles in the WA Budget in a couple of weeks. Premier Colin Barnett’s last budget will be about constraint.
GST return levels poll playing field
MALCOLM Turnbull faces a whole new political ball game here in WA to the one Tony Abbott faced in 2013 when he won 12 out of 15 seats at the last federal election.
Fraught link puts Premier on outer
DON’T expect the $1.9b Perth Freight Link project to make WA Premier Colin Barnett’s highlights reel when he reflects on his premiership.
Nats’ port switch exposes Redman
BEFORE Terry Redman declared the Nationals’ opposition to the $2b sale of Fremantle Port, he had told Treasurer Mike Nahan he believed he could get his colleagues “over the line” to support the sale.
Why WA matters to PM and Labor
WHEN Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull lands in WA for a four-day visit this month he’ll need more than a national income tax plan in his back pocket.
