Basil Zempilas: Drink driving is serious, but offenders can’t be punished forever

1. So let me get this right. The State Government has said no to the Commonwealth Games 2026, no to the Special Olympics 2027 and not sure to the 2027 World Police and Fire Games (which would bring 20,000 visitors to Perth). But don’t worry everyone, they’ve teed up the Western Force to play the British and Irish Lions in Perth in June 2025. Ripper. Come on Premier, go and get a genuine global event, a sporting festival, something which captures us all in the lead up, goes for a week or two and leaves a legacy.

2. We can’t afford it is always the reply. OK then, so leaving all of those recent massive surpluses to one side, what’s happening with that $1 billion “community fund” the previous premier collected from the big mining companies? What State Government account is that sitting in and when can we expect to see a list of the projects it’s supposed to deliver? I hope they got receipts.