WA news LIVE: Man fights for life after freeway rollover; Fresh attempt to lure tradies

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Latest posts
9.23am
Budget to boost tradie incentives
The state government has committed $37.5 million in the upcoming WA budget to boost apprenticeships and training, and attract skilled tradies to the west.
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This will include $25.2 million to expand the Group Training Organisation Wage Subsidy program.
The GTO program helps building and construction employers cover the cost of employing an apprentice or trainee. This latest funding to the program unlocks places for an additional 225 apprentices or trainees.
The investment will fund 150 places at 75 per cent subsidy and 75 places at 100 per cent.
The government is also providing $12.3 million to extend successful programs such as the Build a Life in WA Incentive, which have so far lured 1019 skilled tradespeople to WA.
The incentive provides up to $10,000 paid in two milestone payments.
Treasurer Rita Saffioti will hand down the 2025-26 budget on Thursday.
9.22am
Man fights for life after freeway rollover
Major Crash detectives are investigating a car rollover in North Lake last night that left its male passenger fighting for life.
About 11.30pm, a red Jeep Wrangler was travelling northbound on the Kwinana Freeway, at the intersection of Roe Highway, when it veered off the road and rolled.
Emergency services took the 32-year-old male passenger and 22-year-old driver to Royal Perth Hospital, the former with life-threatening injuries, the latter with minor injuries.
Major Crash investigators are examining the scene and appealing for any witnesses to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online.
Anyone with dash-cam or phone footage relating to the crash is urged to upload it directly to
investigators via this link.
9.22am
Across the nation and around the world
By Anthony Segaert
Making headlines further afield today:
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US President Donald Trump vetoed a plan by Israel to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to reports from AP and Reuters.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in the United States and will soon meet Trump to discuss tariffs and AUKUS.
Israel's ambassador to Australia has delivered a veiled barb to Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who revealed she had phoned her Iranian counterpart urging restraint after Israel's strikes on Iran.
Indonesian police have launched a manhunt in Bali for two masked men, suspected to be Australians, who could face the death penalty for a fatal shooting.
In NSW, the state's transport authority has secretly warned of the heightened risk of failures on Sydney's rail network over the coming months.
And in Victoria, half of the state's new building surveyors are using a loophole to bypass years of training and become qualified interstate.
9.19am
Today's weather
Cloudy and 21 today.
9.18am
This morning in Perth
By
Good morning fellow West Australians, and welcome to the first live blog of the week.
This morning, our contributor Mark Naglazas reports after taking a ride on the Morley-Ellebrook train line to see why it took out four gongs, including the top prize, at the state architecture awards on Friday night.
And education reporter Holly Thompson reports on a group of Perth teens and their touching, gutsy quest to honour the memory of their friend, who died of cancer last year.
And yesterday, in case you missed it, WA mining billionaire Andrew Forrest called for the United Nations to back a major overhaul of global fishing regulations and marine life protections following last week's international ocean summit.

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West Australian

2 hours ago

• West Australian

Premier Roger Cook bound for the UK to push WA's case for AUKUS deal on the rocks

Roger Cook is heading to the UK this week to push WA's case for why the shaky AUKUS deal should proceed, amid fears Donald Trump will torpedo the $368 billion defence agreement. With Mr Trump ordering a review of the deal, the Premier — accompanied by his Defence Industries Minister Paul Papalia — will meet with senior British government and defence personnel to emphasise why AUKUS is important to not just Australia, the US and the UK, but to WA. The 2021 AUKUS security pact between the US, Britain and Australia, is supposed to deliver Australia up to five nuclear-powered submarines from about 2030. WA stands to be a major beneficiary, with Henderson — just south of Perth — scheduled to get a $20b boost to become a major defence hub where the submarines would be serviced and naval ship building further developed. About $8b of upgrades are also scheduled to happen at HMAS Stirling, which will become home to Australia's nuclear-propelled AUKUS submarines — Virginia Class SSNs. 'I'm confident that AUKUS is a great deal for the US and Australia and that the Trump administration's review will confirm that,' Mr Cook said. 'While it's only natural that a new administration does a review, there's no doubt we live in uncertain times, and that's why this UK mission is a priority for my Government.' At the G7 summit, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was unable to get a one-on-one meeting with Mr Trump to discuss AUKUS after the US President left early to due to escalating the Middle East crisis. Mr Cook said the deal was in the interests of all three nations, adding any decision not to proceed with the agreement would be worrying. 'Obviously, it (AUKUS not proceeding) would be a concern not only for Australia but for the UK and a concern in relation to the US security attitude towards the geopolitical situation in this region,' he said. 'But, as has been observed by several people, the UK Government undertook its own review of AUKUS when it was elected. 'So, we are not too concerned.' During the five-day mission Mr Cook will hold a roundtable meeting in London with defence industry heavyweights and meet with UK Government officials, including Maria Eagle, Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry, and Lord Spellar, the UK's trade envoy to Australia. The Premier and Mr Papalia will also visit His Majesty's Naval Base, in Devonport which is the sole nuclear repair and refuelling facility for the Royal Navy. Regardless of AUKUS, Mr Cook was confident WA would play a significant in Australia's — and the US and UK's — defence industries. Mr Cook said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had, for example, recently announced a plan to build up to 12 additional nuclear-powered submarines over the next decade — and WA businesses could play a pivotal role in speeding up the construction of these military assets. 'There will still be significant opportunities for Western Australia's defence industry,' Mr Cook said. 'The US and UK will still need WA businesses, or WA manufacturers, to be part of the global supply chain for their own construction effort. 'There are three big opportunities for Western Australia. 'One is around maintenance and sustainment, the other is around frigate construction and the third is around being part of the international manufacturing supply chain for the construction of UK and US subs back in their countries.' Mr Cook said the State's move to renewables and clean energy would also be a selling point. 'This mission to the UK is a crucial part of my Government's plan to diversify the economy and ensure it remains the strongest in the nation,' Mr Cook said. 'We are doing everything we can to ensure that local businesses benefit from this once in a generation boom, and that's why strategic talks with decision-makers to sell our State to the world and garner investment is so important.'

ABC News

20 hours ago

• ABC News

Workforce shortages the key roadblock to state government's 'Made in WA' future

Economic experts have endorsed the WA government's future-focused budget, but warned a tight labour market could be its biggest roadblock. Thursday's state budget represented a shift in the government's focus, from transport projects and cost-of-living relief to infrastructure spending to kick-start diversification of the state's economy. About 40 per cent of government infrastructure investment over the next four years is earmarked for so-called enabling infrastructure, like electricity transmission and ports. "There's global economic turmoil," Treasurer Rita Saffioti said of the shift in focus. "We need to make sure we protect Western Australia and help Western Australia grow into the future. "We don't want WA to be collateral damage in global economic chaos." Raymond Da Silva Rosa studies what drives corporate investment at the University of Western Australia and backed the government's plans to try and increase productivity across the state. "We have a budget that's in surplus, we have an economy that's booming, we have a state government that has pretty much total control of the political agenda," he said. "So all the pieces are in place for the government to take some considerable risks that other governments can't afford to." One missing piece though, he said, is likely to be workforce — largely because the mining industry remaining successful leaves few workers for other industries. Chief economist for the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia, Cassanda Winzar, agreed. "There's a real argument to be had there for spreading some of the spend out and looking at what the biggest priorities are," she said. "So looking at some of that infrastructure around the energy transition, but also really looking at our housing situation. "If people can't get houses here there's not really going to be much investment and much desire for new industries to grow and develop here in WA." That backing from the private sector will be critical to making the government's vision a reality — because without businesses changing where and how they spend money, the shape of the economy won't change. Saffioti used an address to a business breakfast yesterday to encourage them to back the government's plans. "We're here, ready to work with industry, making sure we can deliver on our commitments," she said. Asked later in the day what would happen if businesses didn't change their spending, the treasurer said the combination of providing initial infrastructure and capital with long-term government purchase agreements was attractive to industry. "I think there's a lot of excitement, and just speaking to a few people today, I think that there's a real willingness," she said. Despite the broad support, Ms Winzar and Professor da Silva Rossa questioned the government's focus on manufacturing as a priority area, beyond a few niche industries. "We're a very high-cost state, labour-wise, in a high-cost country," Ms Winzar said. "Manufacturing across Australia is always going to be challenging. "It's particularly challenging in WA when we've got competing demands for labour from industries such as mining." Professor da Silva Rosa said there were strengths the government should try to leverage, which could be enhanced by boosting the quality of primary and secondary education. "The services sector is the one that dominates, so it's more about high-end services, like medical services, computers and the like, engineering services," he said. For its part, the opposition continues to argue payroll tax is an unnecessary roadblock to economic growth. Payroll tax is paid to the state government by all businesses whose wage bill exceeds $1 million each year, and is expected to bring in $6.2 billion next financial year. "WA businesses face a disincentive when they hire people," Shadow Treasurer Sandra Brewer said. "Our payroll tax, particularly for small businesses, are the highest in the country." She made the case alongside Jay Sidhu, who owns a land surveying business and said the tax had influenced his thinking as demand for his services grew. "Me and my business partners have to consider it before we even think of growing," he said. Ms Brewer said those costs were often passed directly on to customers. "So what we're saying is, the government could help housing affordability by looking at all of the taxes on business, and seeing where they can reform," she said. Asked at the business breakfast if a Labor government was ever likely to consider changes to payroll tax, Ms Saffioti said: "Every budget we consider everything." "But also it's about the approvals process," she said. "So we're working across the breadth of the economy to [see] what we can do in relation to supporting industry and business." Ms Winzar said that was another area which needed to be looked at closely to attract investment to the state. "What often happens in WA is we have really good small businesses and they're looking to expand, and they feel like they can't do it in WA because they don't have access to the right resources, to get the right labour," she said. "The tax and regulation settings don't encourage them to grow here, so they leave either for interstate or overseas. "We really want to encourage all those businesses to stay, to grow here, and other businesses to come setup here."

Perth Now

a day ago

• Perth Now

How Trump's presence ... and absence haunted the PM

Almost every world leader is haunted by the spectre of Donald Trump's tariff regime and unfortunately, Anthony Albanese is no exception. Despite this week whistling through three countries in six days, Australia's touring prime minister seemingly couldn't escape the presence of his US counterpart, whether it was real or as the proverbial elephant in the room. Everywhere Mr Albanese set foot, the subject of Mr Trump and import taxes - not to mention the eventual cancellation of trade talks between the two men - seeped into every crevice of his itinerary. At home, a face-to-face meeting for the PM with the so-called leader of the free world had been keenly anticipated since it became apparent the unpredictability of his presidency helped propel Labor to a landslide federal election win in May. So, when Mr Albanese revealed he'd been invited to this month's G7 summit in Canada and that Mr Trump was attending, expectations they would finally meet naturally peaked. The discussion would have been their first in-person encounter and no doubt presented a prime opportunity to negotiate a coveted tariff exemption. Mr Albanese's first stop en route to Calgary was in Fiji, where a local marching band welcomed him with a rendition of the Australian anthem. Soon after touching down and with the aim of blending in, he slipped into a teal island shirt and met with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. "Visiting Fiji so soon after the election is a deliberate decision to reinforce my government's Pacific priorities," he'd insisted upon departing Australia. But in the scheme of things, the audience in Nadi was pretty much a diplomatic warm-up to Mr Albanese's centrepiece meeting. Despite standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Mr Rabuka, he was asked by journalists almost exclusively about whether Mr Trump posed a threat to AUKUS, Australia's nuclear submarine deal with the US and United Kingdom. The only other issue mentioned was the Iran-Israel conflict, a matter in which the Republican president also holds significant sway. Rinse and repeat as Mr Albanese flew on to Seattle. There, he and Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman unveiled a multi-billion-dollar investment in Australian data centres from the company's state-of-the-art headquarters, comprised of three gleaming glass spheres that house more than 40,000 plants. However the event was quickly overshadowed, with Mr Albanese 20 minutes later rushing to no less confirm his much mooted meeting with The Donald. Mr Trump at this point was dominating the backdrop of Albo's trip too, as millions of protesting Americans raging against the 47th president on his 79th birthday dominated world headlines. The No Kings rallies were staged nationwide including, of course, on the local streets leading to Seattle's iconic Space Needle, which transformed into a sea of colour and noise. In the wake of this drama, Mr Albanese settled into a series of diplomatic talks on the sidelines of the Calgary summit, nestled in the foothills of the formidable Canadian Rockies. Surely such a geographical barrier would offer sanctuary from Australia's domestic obsession with things Trump but not quite. True, Mr Albanese might reasonably have expected some handy insights on dealing with the everywhere American president during the first of these bilateral meetings, with local counterpart Mark Carney. Canada's prime minister had recently came to office vowing to stand up to the US and though Mr Carney had maintained this stance in multiple subsequent meetings with Mr Trump, their discussions had generally been well received. Rather than keep this topic in-house during his own chat with Mr Carney, however, the subject of diplomacy between allies proceeded to spill into the public arena in a way that must have been impossible for Mr Albanese to ignore. Especially when the subject of bilateral trade and then certain trilateral submarine agreements was canvassed during a joint press conference at the summit between Mr Trump and Sir Keir Starmer. "It's a really important deal to both of us," the British PM declared, referring to AUKUS. "We're very long-time partners and allies and friends, and we've become friends in a short period of time," Mr Trump said. "He's slightly more liberal than I am ... but for some reason, we get along." Offering a final word, Mr Starmer added: "We make it work." And so it was that Australia's diplomatic affairs managed to capture international attention even in Mr Albanese's absence. Beyond his talks with Mr Carney, Australia's prime minister meanwhile tried hard to keep things on topic himself but the ghost of Mr Trump refused to stay away. With 24 hours to go until their scheduled sit down, the president suddenly announced his early departure from G7 so he could rush home to handle the escalating tensions in the Middle East. Mr Albanese promptly said this was "understandable" and with another four rounds of talks to go among other diplomatic events on his own agenda, the show would go on regardless of Mr Trump's emergency exit. But even in his absence, the US president remained. Many leaders, including Mr Albanese, found themselves continuing to reference the importance of the agenda which had solely been of Mr Trump's making: free and fair trade. Days after the summit wrapped up, little seemed to have changed either. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also had talks scheduled with Mr Trump the day after he left. However the two men had already previously faced Mr Trump, while Ms Sheinbaum received a phone call from him post his departure. Mr Albanese returned to Australia on Thursday without having spoken to the main man. He might have had another shot at the end of June, as he was considering attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in the Netherlands, but Mr Trump could just as easily make an early exit there too. Australia's exports to the US meanwhile continue to be hit with a baseline 10 per cent tariff and its steel and aluminium products incur a 50 per cent levy.