Zempilas urges action on tobacco laws as Huntingdale shop destroyed in suspected arson attack

Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas has warned someone may be seriously injured or die unless the Cook government urgently introduces laws to stamp out WA’s spiralling tobacco wars after another store was gutted by fire overnight.

Ashtar WA in Huntingdale was destroyed by fire around 3am on Wednesday, with arson squad detectives arriving at the scene to investigate the suspicious blaze later in the morning.

Several stores within the Huntingdale shopping centre on Pipit Close were cordoned off, with power cut to the complex, including the nearby IGA.

Police are also investigating if a car fire in Forrestdale, a short time later, is linked to the suspected arson attack.

It’s the second time within six months the Ashtar WA shopfront has been targeted by arsonists.

In August, offenders forced entry into the shop around 2am and set fire to the store.

That incident was part of a series of tobacco war-related attacks carried out within days of each other, with WA Police at the time labelling the crimes as “extortion, arson, drive by shootings straight out of the playbook of organised crime”.

Zempilas and opposition police spokesman Adam Hort held a press conference outside the burned out shop on Wednesday morning.

Zempilas said the government had not acted on the warning signs and now community safety was at threat.

“We have not seen this tough legislation brought in, now somebody may well die or be seriously injured because of a firebombing like the one that took place earlier this morning,” he said.

“How many incidents is it going to take, and how seriously does somebody need to be injured?

“Or does it take a West Australian dying on his watch before the premier will finally step in and do something about it?”

The government is drafting new laws that will match leading states like Queensland and NSW which will give health regulators and police powers to shut down shops selling illicit tobacco and vapes, but Premier Roger Cook has so far refused to reveal when they would be introduced to parliament.

On Tuesday, Cook said the new laws were complex and required amendments across several acts.

Zempilas called on the premier to commit to introducing the laws on the first day of parliament next month.

“Premier, please, on behalf of the people of Western Australia, mate, do your job,” he said.

“Bring that legislation in and stop incidents like this happening. It will cost somebody their life. Somebody will be seriously injured and Premier, if you do nothing, this will be on you.”

Cook said on Tuesday police were cracking down on the industry and had made significant arrests, and he intended to “crush” the illicit trade.

“We know the police are getting on to this we hate, we hate this industry. I’m going to crush it. I’m going to drive these people out of business and we’ve got to make sure that we have the toughest laws in the nation to get that going that,” he said.

No one has been convicted since the first West Australian tobacco war-related incident in Midland in October 2024, however so far six arrests have been made, and those cases are progressing through the courts.

Most targeted stores reopened and continued to trade.

Earlier this week, WA Police revealed low-level criminals allegedly hired to conduct firebombings or shop shootings as a standover tactic were never paid.

NSW, South Australia and Queensland have “shut-down” laws that allow for convenience stores found selling illicit tobacco products to be closed, but WA lacks anything similar.

In Victoria, tough penalties of up to $1.7 million in fines and/or 15 years in jail are in store for people there now involved in the trade. WA’s fines are a fraction of that.

Adding to the challenge is the public’s apparent support of cheaper cigarettes and vapes.

A 20-pack of legitimate cigarettes costs between $37 and $62 due to federal government policy that continues to increase the tobacco excise rate in a bid to get smokers to quit.

However, now illegally imported cigarettes are readily available throughout the city for as little as $15 a packet. Illegal vapes set smokers back more but last far longer.

The WA Department of Health’s latest annual report revealed smoking rates in the state had increase over the past two years to 12 per cent of the population.

with Rebecca Peppiatt

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