Politics
Western Australia
WA’s premier on the housing crisis, stamp duty … and cash-for-access dinners
Ahead of his anniversary as premier, WAtoday grilled Roger Cook on some of the more uncomfortable issues facing the government he’ll take to the next election.
- by Hamish Hastie
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Indigenous culture
Leaked letter reveals internal concerns about science on Australia’s next world heritage site
Rock art monitoring in Western Australia’s north was being done without “integrity, diligence or governance”, a Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation employee wrote.
- by Hamish Hastie and Peter Milne
Exclusive
Environmental protection
Perth Zoo, Rottnest trees felled as borer spreads through 88 suburbs
More than 3000 trees across Perth’s best-loved spaces have been destroyed as one of the state’s biggest-ever biosecurity operation ramps up a desperate defence.
- by Hamish Hastie
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WA budget
WA government spends $2 million to prop up ailing regional newspapers
The scheme was only made public after the May WA budget included a line item detailing a further $1 million for “phase two” over the 2024-25 financial year.
- by Hamish Hastie
Updated
Environmental activism
Whitby removes former Chevron employee from Karratha gas plant appeal
Environment Minister Reece Whitby decided to remove Murdoch University Professor Simon McKirdy to maintain public confidence in the appeal committee’s work.
- by Hamish Hastie
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Roger Cook
‘Where’s Mark?’: A day in the life of Roger Cook
The West Australian premier has a mammoth task ahead of him to communicate to the public what he stands for. Beyond, that is, being a “dad from Kwinana”.
- by Hamish Hastie
Exclusive
Indigenous
Days of grand gestures for Indigenous reconciliation over: Cook
“The reason why I say that I think the nature of our society nowadays is such that we won’t see these big, grand social projects or social gestures,” WA Premier Roger Cook said.
- by Hamish Hastie
Opposition wary of WA government splashing cash on in-house lawyers
The Department of Premier and Cabinet will spend $6 million over the next four years to establish a four-person in-house legal team.
- by Hamish Hastie
‘Trying to save the planet’: Cook wants line of sight on guzzlers of WA gas
As climate groups deride his government’s pro-gas stance, the premier is giving thought to how to hold WA’s international gas customers to account on climate.
- by Hamish Hastie
WA’s lack of progress on ‘vital’ carbon capture underwhelms minister
WA’s energy minister told the oil and gas industry it could “go the way of the dinosaurs” if it continued to vent greenhouse gases into the atmosphere freely.
- by Marion Rae
WA builders get more powers to combat construction sector’s ‘profitless boom’
The three-stage Safe and Fair Reform Package will apply to billions of dollars’ worth of government contracts handled by the Department of Finance.
- by Hamish Hastie