Andrew O'Connor has been a journalist for 30 years, most of that time with ABC News and current affairs as reporter and producer.
He currently works as a reporter and video journalist covering stories for ABC News on television, radio and online.
Posted
| UpdatedPremier Colin Barnett rules out changes to his staff despite continued questions over their conduct.
Topics: government-and-politics, perth-6000
Posted
| UpdatedThe WA Government will have to amend the construction contract and meet an unspecified additional cost to complete the first stage of its $1.9 billion Perth Freight Link project.
Topics: government-and-politics, urban-development-and-planning, community-and-society, perth-6000
Posted
| UpdatedWA Premier Colin Barnett is hoping months of leadership tension and internal instability are behind him, but much still depends on his ability to adjust his leadership style enough to placate his detractors, writes Andrew O'Connor.
Topics: government-and-politics, liberals, wa
Posted
The WA Government will move quickly to resolve uncertainty over the timing and structure of the $1.9-billion Perth Freight Link project, with Premier Colin Barnett saying it is a priority project.
Topics: government-and-politics, perth-6000
Posted
A bid by the WA Nationals to expand the number of seats in State Parliament's Lower House is pushed off the agenda until after the next election, as the Government blocks debate on the bill.
Topics: government-and-politics, state-parliament, wa
Posted
| UpdatedA leaked letter from the Commonwealth Government shows Western Australia would be left to carry the cost of a scaled-down Perth Freight Link.
Topics: government-and-politics, perth-6000
Posted
Mark McGowan says he is not concerned by social media posts showing Labor MP and shadow treasurer Ben Wyatt socialising with Perth business figure and philanthropist John Poynton.
Topics: government-and-politics, alp, perth-6000
Posted
The Barnett Government hopes to generate about $1.4 billion from the partial privatisation of Keystart loan book.
Topics: state-parliament, privatisation-and-deregulation, perth-6000
Posted
| UpdatedThe WA Government maintains its bid to borrow another $1.7 billion is a precautionary step to ensure the Government does not run out of money before the March state election.
Topics: government-and-politics, budget, wa, perth-6000
Posted
Fremantle Port is being forced to comply with more than a dozen restrictions on its management and operations amid a push to privatise it.
Topics: government-and-politics, privatisation-and-deregulation, wa, perth-6000
Posted
| UpdatedA senior public servant's appointment less than seven months before next year's state election was "political" and "jobs for the boys", WA Labor says.
Topics: public-sector, government-and-politics, wa, perth-6000
Posted
A successful program exposing high school students to the traumatic injuries from high-risk activities will be funded until 2020, the WA Government says.
Topics: education, safety-education, wa
Posted
After a week of enforced leave, West Australian Transport Minister Dean Nalder uses his first appearance in Parliament to try to shrug off Opposition claims of distrust and tension with Premier Colin Barnett.
Topics: government-and-politics, political-parties, state-parliament, perth-6000
Posted
West Australian Treasurer Mike Nahan says he was aware of a poll the night before the results of a privately-funded survey of WA voters were made public, as leadership speculation continues within Liberal ranks.
Topics: political-parties, government-and-politics, wa
Posted
| UpdatedWest Australian Premier Colin Barnett insists no-one is pressuring him to hand over the leadership to Liza Harvey before the next state election, despite continuing tension within the Liberal Party.
Topics: political-parties, states-and-territories, wa
Posted
| UpdatedWA Premier Colin Barnett confirms he asked Transport Minister Dean Nalder to take leave and skip a Wheatbelt Cabinet meeting after their crisis meeting last week.
Topics: government-and-politics, liberals, states-and-territories, moora-6510, perth-6000, wa, china
Posted
After a week dogged by more leadership controversy, WA Premier Colin Barnett draws a line in the sand for his trouble-prone Transport Minister Dean Nalder.
Topics: political-parties, government-and-politics, elections, wa
Posted
| UpdatedTransport Minister Dean Nalder retains his Cabinet position after a meeting with the Premier about his knowledge of a privately funded opinion poll.
Topics: political-parties, elections, government-and-politics, wa
Posted
| UpdatedWA Premier Colin Barnett will have a "long and serious" discussion with leadership aspirant Dean Nalder and does not rule out sacking him in the wake of a privately-funded opinion poll showing the Liberals would lose next year's state election.
Topics: political-parties, elections, government-and-politics, wa
Posted
| UpdatedWest Australian Premier Colin Barnett faces renewed speculation about the security of his leadership, with a privately funded poll of voters showing his government is set to lose next year's state election.
Topics: political-parties, government-and-politics, elections, wa
Posted
| UpdatedSenior WA Liberals back Premier Colin Barnett's concerns about a plebiscite on same-sex marriage being conducted in the midst of next year's state election campaign.
Topics: gays-and-lesbians, marriage, elections, referendums, wa, australia
Posted
The mining industry launches its first full salvo against the WA Nationals' proposed mining tax, casting it as a measure that will threaten jobs, discourage investment, and hurt regional mining communities.
Topics: mining-industry, tax, government-and-politics, nationals
Posted
| UpdatedThe West Australian Government confirms it is paying $500,000 a month to parking contractor Capella to manage hundreds of unused parking bays at the delayed Perth Children's Hospital.
Topics: government-and-politics, healthcare-facilities, perth-6000
Posted
The WA Transport Department's new director-general, Richard Sellers, is confident a lack of transport experience and expertise will be no impediment to leading one of the Government's most critical agencies.
Topics: government-and-politics, wa, perth-6000
Posted
| UpdatedWA Premier Colin Barnett assures states and territories they will not be worse off under under Malcolm Turnbull's GST floor plan.
Topics: federal---state-issues, wa