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
As the West Australian election draws nearer, Premier Colin Barnett expresses frustration at the media for continuing to question him about Pauline Hanson and One Nation, while Labor's Mark McGowan sticks to well-worn campaign themes.
Topics: government-and-politics, elections, wa
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Former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke urges WA Labor leader Mark McGowan to hold a summit to unite business, unions and the community behind the effort to balance WA's budget and revive economic growth.
Topics: elections, government-and-politics, states-and-territories, state-parliament, perth-6000
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| UpdatedBy choosing to fight on the contested ground of economic and financial management, the Barnett Government is opening up the wounds of its own fiscal record.
Topics: government-and-politics, elections, perth-6000, wa
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| UpdatedThe Barnett Government tries to intensify pressure on WA Labor to have its election promises analysed and costed by state Treasury, but Mark McGowan is standing firm in his opposition.
Topics: elections, political-parties, wa
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| UpdatedLabor defends the credibility of its election promise costings in the face of escalating criticism from the Barnett Government, including accusations any analysis from the party's experts will not be objective.
Topics: elections, budget, political-parties, wa
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| UpdatedThe WA Nationals leader declares only his party has a viable plan to repair the deficit and debt plaguing the state's finances, labelling the major political parties' budget strategies flawed and doomed to fail.
Topics: government-and-politics, states-and-territories, federal---state-issues, elections, mining-industry, wa
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Two weeks from the state election, the Barnett Government is yet to submit its full business case or receive any of the promised Commonwealth funding for its priority road project, the $1.9-billion Perth Freight Link.
Topics: elections, road-transport, urban-development-and-planning, fremantle-6160, melville-6156, beeliar-6164
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| UpdatedA leading WA shipbuilder says highly capable maritime manufacturers in Western Australia are being overlooked for major Defence work, partly blaming the Barnett Government.
Topics: political-parties, elections, defence-industry, henderson-6166
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| UpdatedA re-elected Barnett Government would push to have Sunday penalty rates for some workers slashed, in exchange for a higher base rate on other days.
Topics: government-and-politics, tourism, hospitality, wa
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| UpdatedThe Barnett Government is accused of misrepresenting the true cost of the Perth Freight Link project by billions of dollars after FOI documents are released, but Treasurer Mike Nahan says they are out of date.
Topics: government-and-politics, urban-development-and-planning, elections, wa, perth-6000
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| UpdatedWA Labor says it will not impose any new taxes or tax increases on West Australians if it wins government in next month's state election, while the Premier holds on to hope for action on GST distribution.
Topics: elections, government-and-politics, tax, wa
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Six months after his pledge to set a base level for WA's GST share, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is set to face hard questions about how it will be done and when.
Topics: elections, tax, perth-6000, wa
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The Liberals and Labor spent much of the week crunching and debating the financial figures — but it was that One Nation preference deal and Pauline Hanson's candidates who dominated much of the debate.
Topics: elections, states-and-territories, alp, liberals, one-nation, perth-6000, wa
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| UpdatedAs the Barnett Government battles for a third term in office, Albert Jacob, John Day and Paul Miles face tough struggles to hold seats normally considered safe.
Topics: elections, political-parties, wa
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WA Premier Colin Barnett maintains his staunch defence of the Liberals preference deal with One Nation, while distancing himself from extreme comments of some of its candidates.
Topics: elections, minor-parties, gays-and-lesbians, wa
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| UpdatedThe Barnett Government pledges to lift the payroll tax threshold for business to $900,000, claiming the change will boost jobs and save small businesses millions.
Topics: elections, political-parties, small-business, tax, wa
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| UpdatedElection promises by the major parties and another bleak budget update for WA Treasurer Mike Nahan feature on the campaign trail, with One Nation also gaining a surprise candidate.
Topics: elections, political-parties, ellenbrook-6069, perth-6000, collie-6225, wa
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| UpdatedA new line to Ellenbrook could reduce city commuting times for residents in Perth's north-eastern corridor by up to 30 minutes, WA Labor says while spruiking its Metronet rail system.
Topics: elections, rail-transport, federal---state-issues, perth-6000, ellenbrook-6069, wa
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| UpdatedThe make-up of Western Australia's planned Rural Fire Service is yet to be announced, despite the State Government announcing it wants it to be headquartered in the South West town of Collie.
Topics: emergency-planning, fires, collie-6225
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| UpdatedWestern Australia's Treasurer and shadow treasurer offer to resign if their parties fail to honour key commitments, as they clash over proposals for a mining tax and an outer harbour at Kwinana.
Topics: elections, political-parties, perth-6000, wa
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Heated debates and threatened resignations dominate the WA election campaign trail, as the Nationals' controversial mining tax generates more angst.
Topics: elections, political-parties, wa
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| UpdatedPreference deals, the promise of a new marina and a fierce debate over "fake costings" dominate the WA election campaign trail on Tuesday.
Topics: elections, political-parties, wa
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WA Labor rules out a blanket preference deal with One Nation but appears to leave the door open to seat-by-seat deals once candidate nominations close later this week.
Topics: elections, political-parties, one-nation, alp, wa
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| UpdatedLabor says it will not use state debt to fund its $2.5 billion Metronet plan, while Deputy Premier Liza Harvey takes to the streets of Perth to sell the Big Issue.
Topics: elections, rail-transport, wa
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| UpdatedLabor's flagship $2.5 billion Metronet rail plan will be funded through a range of funding sources and will not impact net debt, Opposition Leader Mark McGowan says.
Topics: elections, rail-transport, federal---state-issues, perth-6000, ellenbrook-6069, yanchep-6035, wa