Hamish Hastie
The Sydney Morning Herald
Perth, WA, Australia
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Past articles by Hamish:
Roger that: Cook to be next WA premier after Sanderson pulls out of race
Amber-Jade Sanderson’s decision came after Labor’s left-faction colleagues delivered a fatal blow to her leadership hopes. → Read More
Loved at home but loathed over east, McGowan gives up the fight
For a man who hated conflict, West Australian Premier Mark McGowan was a master at it. → Read More
‘Spend money on hospitals’: Coroner scathing of government resourcing after Aishwarya’s death
“We are fortunate as a state to have come out of the pandemic in a relatively healthy financial position, and while I acknowledge there are many competing demands on the public purse, the health of our community, and particularly our children, must be a priority.” → Read More
‘Needle in a haystack’: Search over after radioactive capsule found in WA outback
WA Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson confirmed the capsule was found after 11am on Wednesday. → Read More
‘Money shouldn’t buy power’: WA businesses splashing thousands on political parties
A WAtoday analysis of annual returns reveals several examples of donations to political parties from companies which had significant dealings with governments in the past 18 months. → Read More
Public servant charged with 31 counts of bribery in Department of Communities scandal
Financial Crimes Squad detectives laid the charges against Mark Ainslie, 62, after an investigation into alleged corruption and fraud first uncovered in 2022. → Read More
‘Sweet hours before dawn’: McGowan’s massive year and the text messages we wish we never read
We started the year deep in COVID-19 territory but 12 months on it feels like the pandemic was a distant memory. Finally some sunlight shone on areas of the government that hadn’t seen scrutiny in several years. → Read More
Leaked document shows Labor HQ teaching taxpayer-funded staff how to electioneer
Parliamentary guidelines ban electorate officers from doing party political work while on the clock but a leaked ‘training calendar’ gives insight into the hours staff in MPs offices spend on Labor Party business. → Read More
Alannah MacTiernan retires from politics
MacTiernan is one of WA Labor’s best known political figures and is currently the party’s longest serving politician including her time as a state member and a three-year stint as the Member for Perth in federal parliament. → Read More
Basil Zempilas challenges McGowan to get public sector back into CBD ‘immediately’
The premier railed against working from home and confirmed his government would introduce legislation removing the need for the cycling of state of emergency powers. → Read More
The inside story of how Labor conquered the western front
Nationally, Labor took a 0.5 per cent hit in its primary vote, but in WA it surged 7.4 per cent, scalping two coalition ministers, flipping four seats red and clearing the path for Anthony Albanese to form a majority government. → Read More
A crucial contest: Labor has a score to settle in Swan
Two brand-new major party candidates vying for the vacancy left by long-serving Liberal party stalwart Steve Irons makes Swan one of the most interesting contests in the country. → Read More
Clive Palmer v Mark McGowan LIVE updates: Mark McGowan’s lawyers blast John Quigley’s evidence as bordering on being ‘outright silly’
When asked by Justice Michael Lee what he should make of Mr Quigley’s evidence, Bret Walker SC said: ‘not a lot’. ‘If one were to try to logically to reconcile it you would be utterly defeated. It just can’t be done.’ → Read More
Porter lashes China, takes parting shot at ‘the mob’ in final speech to Parliament
In a wide-ranging speech that also touched on his involvement in the GST redistribution and his downfall from politics, Mr Porter said China’s behaviour lacked rationality → Read More
‘Four weeks of caution have paid dividends’: WA Premier announces border to open on March 3
WA’s hard border will come down on March 3, with Premier Mark McGowan making the call due to high vaccination rates and declining COVID-19 cases in the eastern states. → Read More
Whodunnit: Emails solve (part of) Perth Crown commission puzzle
The state’s leaders faced many questions about who suggested an inquiry leader so closely linked to its witnesses. Why did they avoid the answer now revealed? → Read More
More students forced into quarantine after COVID-19 hits another high school
Perth Live host Oliver Peterson tweeted a letter sent to parents from the school urging all year 12 students to get tested and self-quarantine for 14 days. → Read More
WATCH LIVE: WA Premier to provide COVID update as PM flags changes to close contact definitions
Mark McGowan and other state and territory leaders will discuss the ‘gear change’ described by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday morning that will see changes in definitions to COVID-19 close contact cases. → Read More
Contact tracers swing into action after positive COVID-19 case at Northbridge bar
WA Health has sent text messages to attendees of the Geisha Bar warning them they were at the venue when a COVID-19 case was present. → Read More
The year ahead: McGowan looking to pull off a Bradbury as WA launches into a post-COVID era
As we look into the crystal ball for WA in 2022 reopening the borders will be the biggest hurdle the McGowan government will overcome, but for the first time in nearly two years, there may be a time that the virus does not dominate the political discourse. → Read More