WA news LIVE: Radicalised schoolboy was 'trying to convert other ...

Male voters have turned against Labor and increased their support for the Coalition in a big political shift over the past six months, deepening the dangers for the government when it is also losing ground in battleground states, including Western Australia.

Labor risks losing office or sliding into minority government if it cannot hold key seats in Western Australia, where it made big gains at the last election.

The government has promised the state at least $5 billion a year in top-up GST payments, infuriating other states, and Albanese is making regular visits to WA to shore up support.

An exclusive survey shows WA voters have cut their support for Labor from 34 to 32 per cent since the December quarter. This compares to the Labor primary vote in the state of 37 per cent at the last election.

The Coalition has a primary vote of 35 per cent in WA in the latest Resolve analysis, in line with the result of the last election.

Read more here.

A residential builders’ lobby group has lashed the handling of the state government’s interest-free support facility for struggling builders, warning half a dozen of its members were teetering on the edge of collapse while awaiting help.

It’s been more than four months since the state announced the new $10 million facility, with the Small Business Development Commission charged with distributing loans of up to $300,000 or $60,000 per property for builders struggling to finish stalled projects.

A Perth home under construction. Credit: Ross Swanborough

But on Tuesday, Radio 6PR’s Gary Adshead revealed he had sighted a letter in which an applicant was told by the commission that it was unable to provide any insight into the timeframe for assessment and payment.

Home Builders Action Group chair Jason Janssen said the delay in the release of the lifeline was “frustrating” and warned the recent collapse of Collier Homes was merely the “tip of the iceberg” as its members grappled with escalating cost pressures.

“You’ve got builders finishing new jobs to pay for older ones and this will allow builders to finish the loss-making contracts,” he said.

“There would be half a dozen of our members teetering on the edge.”

Questions were first raised about the lag in the scheme’s delivery a fortnight ago, amid revelations Collier Homes’ director had applied for a loan before falling into liquidation.

Commerce Minister Sue Ellery has previously said the funds were expected to reach builders in the coming weeks, with the formal application process having only opened in mid-March.

Sticking with the Police Commissioner Col Blanch’s interview on Radio 6PR just now.

The state’s top cop has spoken of his disappointment that Perth bikie Troy Mercanti was released on bail yesterday after being charged with sexual assault last week.

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Blanch said police prosecutors had opposed bail as they were concerned about the safety of his alleged victim.

Mercanti allegedly raped and assaulted the woman in his Karrinyup home on Thursday after a drug and booze-fuelled night out in Northbridge.

Blanch said the outcome of his bail application was “a decision for the court”, but added he “wouldn’t disagree” with Mornings presenter Gary Adshead’s disgust over the magistrate’s decision.

Premier Roger Cook was also asked about the same issue during a press conference this morning, and although he declined to be drawn on the individual case, he spoke more generally about law reform.

“Decisions with regards to bail in this and matter of the court are in fact the decisions of the court, so I won’t reflect on those, but we’ve already signalled that we will be tightening up our bail laws, particularly in relation to family and domestic violence incidences,” he said.

“Those laws are in the process of being crafted and will be passed by the Parliament, hopefully in the very near future.”

Education Minister Tony Buti has addressed the radicalisation of a student at a prestigious public school in Perth’s south for the first time, after refusing to comment on the situation on Monday.

Speaking on ABC Perth this morning, Buti confirmed he had received a letter from a mother and father at Rossmoyne Senior High School in April, during the school holidays over concerns about extremism views at the school.

WA Education Minister Tony Buti. Credit: Holly Thompson

“The letter itself did not identify a student, it didn’t mention a student name,” he said.

“The issue was about radicalisation, the letter did not express concern of community safety, it was more concern about their child being radicalised.

“[Their concern was not] about the behaviour of the now deceased former student.”

Buti said any letter like that would “ring alarm bells” but the department’s actions in response had been exemplary, and meetings had been organised between the principal, the parents and a psychologist.

He said the deceased student was well known to police and was being monitored, but it was an entirely separate issue from the letter.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch, speaking on Radio 6PR just now, also moved to ease community concerns that there were other students at the school with similar views to the teenager.

“There is nothing to suggest that anyone was in any way, shape or form intending on what he did on Saturday night, no one them, we’ve got no ongoing threats,” he said.

He also commented on the teenager throwing a ‘home-made bomb’ into a school toilet block two years ago.

“The incident in the school toilets didn’t blow up the toilet just to be very clear,” he said.

“Police did investigate, we did take action. Remember, we’re talking about a 14-year-old and not just him, but others that were involved as school kids at the time, and it did cause a referral into a counter violent extremism program ... and he has been on that for two years.”

Read more here.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he has indicated to the families of the two Perth men killed in Mexico that he wishes to speak to them when appropriate.

Yesterday, Mexican authorities confirmed brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad were allegedly killed after resisting the theft of their ute in Baja California, one of the country’s most violent states.

Brothers Jake and Callum Robinson.

Callum and Jake’s parents are understood to be planning to visit the surf break where the men were last seen after yesterday having the grim task of identifying their bodies at the morgue.

Speaking in Queensland just now, Albanese told reporters the deaths were a terrible tragedy.

“My heart goes out to them. To identify these wonderful young men, and they have been travelling in Mexico, we have been dealing with them through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,” he said.

“I’ve indicated that I wish to speak to them at an appropriate time of their choosing, this is a tragic incident and to all of the family and the friends of these young Australians, I think the whole of Australia’s thoughts are with you at this difficult time.”

The University of Notre Dame, where Jake studied medicine until 2019, has paid tribute to their former friend today.

“Jake will be remembered for being a warm-hearted, friendly, fun-loving doctor, who was well-loved by students and staff alike. His life was a light that shone around him, warming anyone lucky enough to draw near,” the tribute read.

“I think that the hardest goodbyes are the ones we never get to say, and during this time, we stand together to remember Jake’s life and love for life, and the times we were fortunate enough to share together.”

Read more here. 

Staying with the tragic case of the radicalised schoolboy, and police say they have received reports about online threats being made towards the Year 11’s school, Rossmoyne Senior High School.

In a since deleted post to a Willetton Facebook group, a member claimed ‘a second Rossmoyne student has threatened violence against the school’.

9 News Perth has spotted police patrolling the area this morning, but WA Police believe the threats are vexatious.

“Police do not have any concerns for the safety of the students, teachers and the broader community, and WA Police continue to work with the Department of Education to identify the source of the messages,” a spokeswoman said.

Education Minister Tony Buti told ABC Perth the school had sent a message to parents confirming the messages had not originated from any student.

“The message is to send your children to school today,” he said

The ‘radicalised’ Perth schoolboy shot dead by police at the weekend after stabbing a stranger was trying to convert other students to extremism, parents claim.

Concerned parents at Rossmoyne Senior High School raised fears about the 16-year-old’s action with the Department of Education and the Minister for Education several months ago.

It’s understood a small group of students at the school had converted to Islam and held extremist views, which they were attempting to share with other students by using the prayer rooms in the school.

Meanwhile, students have remembered the boy, who had complex mental health issues, as kind-hearted and helpful.

“People need to start focusing more on mental health and stop assuming he was this bad person,” one student told 9 News Perth.

Read more here. 

Owners of vacant properties will be offered $5000 cash to put their houses on the rental market in a bid to address the state’s rental crisis.

The state budget promise, to be announced by Premier Roger Cook this morning, hopes to entice the owners of an estimated 100,000+ empty homes to help address the record low 0.4 per cent rental vacancy rate recorded in Perth in March this year.

The crisis is being compounded by the state’s population surge, with an additional 81,000 people arriving in WA in 2022-23, as our population tips towards three million.

To be eligible for the grants, a property must have been vacant for at least six months, and the home must be leased for at least 12 months.