Basil Zempilas
Zempilas leads WA tributes for broadcasting icon Dennis Cometti
Zempilas first met Cometti around his late teens when he was playing WAFL at West Perth where the now Opposition Leader expressed interest in becoming a broadcaster like Cometti.
- Hamish Hastie
Latest
- Updated
- WA Parliament
‘I won’t do that again’: Zempilas apologises over Labor MP ‘intimidation’
Footage of the incident shows an exasperated Zempilas standing over Maynard who remained seated while he pointed to his phone.
- Hamish Hastie
City of Perth councillor travel costs triple to $106k, newly released figures show
Travel spending by councillors at the City of Perth more than tripled last financial year jumping to $106,500.
- Carla Hildebrandt
- Analysis
- WA Parliament
The best roasts of 2025 in WA’s new parliament
A re-energised and (slightly) better resourced opposition under Basil Zempilas has fired up their Parliamentary strategy and, in turn, prompted the Cook government to fight back a bit harder in the chamber.
- Hamish Hastie
WA Nationals ditch net zero – and Zempilas’ Liberals are primed to follow
Western Australia’s major conservative parties will follow in the footsteps of their federal colleagues and drop a net zero by 2050 ambition from their policy platforms.
- Hamish Hastie
Zempilas warns ‘only a mug’ would ignore net zero link to Liberal election losses
“I know what I saw in those elections,” Basil Zempilas said, as he urged his party against abandoning net zero.
- Hamish Hastie
- Exclusive
- Local government
‘We can only go up from here’: Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds on rebuilding Perth
From struggling to read as a child, to leading a capital city, the new Perth Lord Mayor is determined to rebuild trust, revive the CBD and make Perth Australia’s safest city.
- Carla Hildebrandt
Rinehart’s $250m West Perth HQ approved despite heritage pushback
A 120-year-old Federation home will be demolished for Gina Rinehart’s $250 million headquarters, reigniting scrutiny of a vote cast by Basil Zempilas during his time as Perth lord mayor.
- Carla Hildebrandt
- Exclusive
- Local government
Liberal legacies, Labor loyalties and lone wolves: The factions in the race for Perth lord mayor
Perth’s council elections are meant to be non-partisan, but political allegiances are shaping the race for lord mayor in the wake of Basil Zempilas’ departure to state politics.
- Carla Hildebrandt
Is Basil more popular than the premier? Cook casts doubt on Liberals’ polling
Internal Liberal Party polling has Basil Zempilas ahead as preferred premier, and also pours cold water on Labor’s Burswood racetrack. But is Roger Cook concerned?
- Hamish Hastie