WA news LIVE: Severe storm warning for Perth; Mercanti charges dropped

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WA news LIVE: Severe storm warning for Perth; Mercanti charges dropped

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Inside a Perth grow house raided by police

WA Police have uncovered three cannabis grow houses in the Perth southern suburbs of Waikiki and Baldivis.

Three men have been arrested and over 750 cannabis plants seized following the execution of several search warrants last week.

At a Waikiki home, two men, aged 28 and 36, were arrested after police allegedly discovered six of the property’s rooms had been converted to hydroponic set-ups.

The next day, two more similar houses were raided in Baldivis with a 51-year-old man arrested.

The trio have been charged with cultivating a prohibited plant with intent to sell and supply and will appear in court later this month.

See inside the grow houses in the video below:

Perth unit prices surge as people priced out of house market

By Sarah Brookes

To property news now, and a shift in buyer demand towards units has seen the price growth for the apartment sector surge ahead of houses in Perth.

In the three months to April house prices in Perth had increased by 6 per cent while units had lifted by 6.5 per cent 0 the sharpest increase in the country.

The median house price is $635,000 and the median unit price is $430,000, according to REIWA.

Perth unit prices are on the rise.

Perth unit prices are on the rise. Credit: CoreLogic

CoreLogic economist Kaytlin Ezzy said house prices had soared more than 20 per cent in Perth over the past year and buyers were being priced out of the market.

“Demand is now tilting towards unit and apartment living due to affordability concerns, particularly in capital cities,” she said.

“Given the worsening affordability environment and the growing possibility that interest rates could be higher for longer, it’s unsurprising that demand has skewed towards the more affordable unit sector.”

WA-raised AFL player banned for five matches over homophobic slur

By Andrew Wu and Michael Gleeson

West Australian-born Gold Coast player Wil Powell has been given a five-match ban for using the same homophobic slur as previously suspended Port Adelaide player Jeremy Finlayson in last Sunday’s clash.

Banned: Wil Powell.

Banned: Wil Powell.Credit: AFL Photos

The league announced the ban this morning for what it described as a “highly offensive homophobic slur” against a Lions opponent, just weeks after Finlayson served a three-match suspension for vilifying Essendon opponent.

Powell called a Lions player a “f-----” according to two sources familiar with the incident, who were not authorised to speak publicly.

Powell previously played for the Claremont Tigers and Scarborough Junior Football Club.

Read more here.

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A peek at the $3.4b worth of state budget promises already made

By Hamish Hastie

Before the state budget is handed down this afternoon, let’s take a look at the more than $3.4 billion in additional spending we already know about.

While we’re expecting few surprises today, an electricity credit – likely to be around the same size as last year’s $400 credit – is likely to be announced as a cost-of-living measure.

Analysts are predicting the 2023-24 surplus will fall short of last year’s projected $3.7 billion and drop below $3 billion for 2024-25.

Economist Alan Duncan says WA’s growth has been stronger than other jurisdictions but “headwinds” have taken some polish off the state’s strong economic performance.

These include high prices and the lack of available housing, along with workforce, infrastructure and supply constraints.

Read more here.

Liberal leader compared to Hitler in Parliament

WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam says Labor MP Stuart Aubrey should apologise to the Jewish community after he compared her to dictator Adolf Hitler for her stance on puberty blockers for trans children.

Aubrey made the remark while speaking in parliament yesterday on a bill related to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Act.

Here’s what he had to say:

Infamous world leaders have found ways to blame marginalised sections of society for the suffering of the masses, using mass communication methods to spread propaganda, lies and fear and using politics of fear and division in an attempt to overthrow democracies and convince people to vote against their better interests—people like Trump and the Mexicans, Hitler and the Jewish, Abbott and the boat people, Morrison and trans athletes, Dutton and Indigenous Australians, Hanson and Asians, Indigenous Australians and basically all minorities, and the Leader of the Liberal Party, Libby Mettam, and the trans community of WA.

Scarborough member, Stuart Aubrey.

Scarborough member, Stuart Aubrey. Credit: Facebook

Mettam has previously said if the Liberals were elected in 2025, they would ban puberty blockers being used on young children with gender dysphoria.

Speaking to Radio 6PR this morning, Mettam said Aubrey’s comments were appalling.

“It’s certainly hard to understand how you can compare a debate about the provision of puberty blockers for children in WA, and the murder of six million Jews,” she said.

“I was contacted by a member of the Jewish community last night in response to this incident, it’s obviously very distressing for them, but what I can say and what needs to happen is that Stuart Aubrey should be apologising to the Western Australian Jewish community, and apologise for his comments trivialising one of the greatest atrocities in human history.”

Letter from concerned parent shows ‘student was using school prayer room to convert others’

To the online radicalisation of a Perth schoolboy shot dead by police at the weekend, and WAtoday has obtained a copy of an email sent by a concerned parent in the weeks before he died.

In the letter, dated April 3, the parent expressed concerns for a student named ‘Mohammed’ who, according to her child, was using the Rossmoyne Senior High School’s prayer room to convince other students to convert to Islam.

The parent said she had seen screenshots of a ‘prayer room group chat’ between students which alarmed her, including a reference to the children watching videos of Zakir Naik, a controversial figure who has been accused of spreading Islamic extremism.

“Me and my husband are worried for [our child] and our family’s safety,” the letter read.

“As a parent I am seriously concerned why my son was targeted.

“If we can be clarified about [whether] a prayer room is legal in public school premises.”

Yesterday, Department of Education director general Lisa Rodgers told Radio 6PR that, despite the letter, the Year 11 teenager was still able to access the prayer room without active supervision.

His laptop and phone access, however, had been limited and was being monitored by the school on behalf of police.

Education Minister Tony Buti had previously tried to distance himself from the letter, saying the author had raised concerns about a boy named ‘Mohammed’, which is not the name of the slain teen – a Caucasian boy who self-converted to Islam.

It’s not clear if the boy went by different names.

The minister, school and police have all moved to reassure the community they held no concerns about other students at the school being radicalised.

Read more here. 

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Perth brothers ‘surprised by murderers’ while camping: Mexican A-G

To the tragic case of the Robinson brothers now, and the Mexican state of Baja California’s Attorney General has just released a statement about their murders claiming they were assaulted and killed on the weekend of April 27 and 28.

Jake and Callum Robinson were killed while on a surfing trip in Mexico. They are pictured with their parents Martin and Debra Robinson.

Jake and Callum Robinson were killed while on a surfing trip in Mexico. They are pictured with their parents Martin and Debra Robinson.

“While the foreigners were camping, they were surprised by Jesus and other people, with the intention of stealing their vehicle and in response to the victims’ reaction, they deprived them of their lives,” Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez said.

“Through the investigations carried out ... the white Chevrolet Colorado vehicle in which the victims were travelling was found burned.

“Other evidence was also collected, such as rods from tents, firearm shells, plastic gallon bottles, blood stains and traces of dragging, in the place where it is presumed that they were camping.”

Read more here.

Saffioti reveals ‘big three’ spending items ahead of today’s state budget

Ahead of handing down her first state budget today, Treasurer Rita Saffioti has just spoken to Radio 6PR’s Millsy & Karl.

She is just the second female treasurer in WA history after Carmen Lawrence, joking that punters will not be able to bet on the colour of her tie today, but as a well-known Dockers fan, she had bought a new purple jacket for the occasion.

WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti in her office ahead of Thursday’s state budget.

WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti in her office ahead of Thursday’s state budget.Credit: Trevor Collens

Saffioti said former premiers and treasurers had wished her well today, including Mark McGowan, Ben Wyatt and Geoff Gallop.

The budget is expected to focus on three big spending items - cost of living relief, housing and health.

“A big focus for us is helping households, and we’ve made some announcements already, and we’ll be making another announcement this afternoon,” she said.

The budget will be handed down at 2pm this afternoon.

Across the nation and around the world

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin during last week’s national cabinet meeting.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin during last week’s national cabinet meeting.Credit: Gaye Gerard

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Today’s weather

Do you call this autumn? A high of 27 degrees, after reaching a low of 18. Mostly cloudy.

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