As it happened: WA news on Tuesday, April 8

We are sorry to leave you this evening with the news that eight days after he went missing, the body of missing teenager Richard Tu was found this afternoon.

Police said the circumstances surrounding Richard’s passing were non-suspicious.

They held a media conference earlier today, together with Richard’s parents and sister Rachel, who tearfully told journalists she was worried about him.

Police had begun searching bushland in Mount Richon this morning after his phone last ‘pinged’ in the area on March 31.

He was last seen getting off a bus on Armadale Road at 9.15pm that day.

Labor has given Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas a trial by fire after his first question in Question Time.

Zempilas started with a stumble after failing to stand quickly enough to ask a question following the call from Speaker Stephen Price.

Technically, the MP that stands up fastest gets the call, and Dawesville MP Lisa Munday stood up like lightning – to the cheers of her Labor colleagues.

But the convention is that the opposition gets to ask the first question, so the call was given to Zempilas who directed it at WA Premier Roger Cook.

A 28-year-old woman who died when the car she was travelling in rolled and crashed near York on Friday night has been remembered as “a beautiful person” who was on her way to Melbourne to start a new life.

Ashleigh Hall was the passenger inside a Toyota Hilux that was travelling east on the Quairading-York Road just before midnight when it left the road and rolled, police said.

The 28-year-old male driver also died.

Ashleigh’s sister Dani Hall launched a fundraiser for her funeral which will be held in Padbury later this month.

Police have just addressed the media at a press conference in Mount Richon where they have spent the day looking for missing teenager Richard Tu.

Inspector Steve Scott said they had been “unable to locate him or any trace of him” and would be calling off the search at 5pm unless they received further information.

The 17-year-old was last seen getting off the 529 bus on Armadale Road after Seville Drive in Armadale around 9.15pm on Monday, March 31.

His phone last pinged in the Mount Richon area two hours after he disembarked the bus.

Tu’s sister Rachel also spoke to the media, tearfully thanking everyone who has offered help and support.

Back to parliament now where the swearing in of the upper house members is happening.

Before the ceremony members milled about in the chamber shaking hands and joking with each other.

Roger Cook visited the opposition side of the chamber where he embraced shadow treasurer Sandra Brewer and Deputy Liberal Leader Libby Mettam and had a quick conversation with Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas.

The public gallery is packed with friends, family and colleagues of the new MPs.

And, on a final note from today’s press conference, Rita Saffioti has also been questioned under her role as transport minister over a story which ran in The West Australian claiming there was a lack of patrons making use of the extended Joondalup (now Yanchep) Line during peak hour.

Saffioti hit back at that article, saying “catching one train and making some false accusations, is not what WA is about”.

“When you look at those three new stations, first of all, they’re end of line. The other point, I would say there’s more people catching (the train from) these new stations than many existing stations,” Saffioti said.

“This is nothing more than a WA Liberal Party obsession with attacking Metronet. If they win they’ll probably tear up the lines or close down stations.