It may look like just another car park, but this lot nestled in the heart of East Perth is the battleground for yet another bitter spat between Basil Zempilas and the WA Labor government.
This time, the game of political football is between Cr Zempilas — who is both Perth’s lord mayor and WA Liberal Party election candidate — and Member for Perth and Lands Minister John Carey.
The players and stakes may change in these battles but the argument remains the same with each claiming to be acting in the best interests of the people of Perth.
Parents, children in the crossfire
In the crossfire this time are parents and children who have been waiting years for a desperately needed primary school to be built in the area.
Cr Zempilas is hoping to secure the prized electorate of Churchlands at the 2025 state poll, and the Labor ministers he deals with are gunning to keep him from victory.
On Tuesday the state government announced it would change legislation to take the East Perth car park off the City of Perth to build a $150 million primary school.
If the legislation is passed through parliament, the school is expected to be open by 2029.
There are currently no public primary schools in Perth’s CBD.
Speaking as lord mayor, Cr Zempilas said ratepayers could be hit with a 1.3 per cent increase in rates as a result of lost revenue from parking.
The government offered to pay the city more than $4 million to compensate for the loss, but the city estimated it would still be left $3 million out of pocket, and that’s without taking the land value into account.
‘Effectively stealing’ land from ratepayers
“That’s the city effectively contributing in perpetuity to the cost of this public school without compensation for it. So we feel very strongly about this,” Cr Zempilas told ABC Radio Perth.
“They are effectively stealing the land off the ratepayers of the City of Perth.”
Mr Carey described the projected rate rise as appalling, and argued the record-investment would add value to the area in the long run.
“Threatening your own ratepayers to say we’re going to lift rates when there is going to be a significant economic uplift,” he told ABC Radio Perth.
Opinion divided
The on-air argument split ABC Radio listeners down the middle.
But when the dispute over lost parking revenue concerns just a couple of million dollars, it begs the question about why the row is happening in the first place.
It wasn’t a point lost on listeners who raised various concerns, as well as questions over Cr Zemplias’s agenda and “the clear conflict of interest” given his dual roles.
For the Liberals, who have a slew of must-win seats in the election, it doesn’t get much more crucial than Churchlands.
Following the latest WA electoral redistribution, Christine Tonkin holds the seat by a notional 1.6 per cent, making it the Labor Party’s most marginal seat.
While residents have been bombarded with election material on their doorsteps from both sides, Cr Zempilas was given a golden opportunity to accuse the government of “stealing” and “bullying.”
The city can’t contest the government’s legislation in court, so when the matter is out of its hands, it leaves them free to point fingers.
“If they can do it to the ratepayers of the City of Perth, then who else might they be going to do it to?” Cr Zempilas said.
Taking the higher ground
The push back from Cr Zempilas granted the state government the chance to be seen to be taking the higher ground.
Education Minister Tony Buti proudly reminded media on Tuesday that he has never made personal attacks on Cr Zempilas, after claiming the lord mayor had taken aim at his Italian heritage.
Mr Buti’s remarks refer to Cr Zempilas reportedly calling Mr Buti “Sleeping Buti” and Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti as “Rita Spend-a-lot-i”.
“Not once have I referred to him in a personal capacity in these negotiations … this isn’t about the lord mayor, this is about providing an inner-city primary school for the residents of Perth,” he said.
Mr Carey also took the opportunity to boast about what he said was Labor’s dedication to the community, not only in his capacity as lands minister but also as the member for Perth.
He pointed to examples where local governments had ceded land “because they recognised the extraordinary investment being made in their local community”.
Both sides of politics agree about the dire need for an inner-city primary school to ease the pressure on the public system.
If anything can be learnt from past riffs, agreeing on the need for a service is not enough to guarantee a seamless process.
It took six months for the pair to settle on a new location for the Safe Night Space women’s shelter in Perth, despite the urgent need for vulnerable women to have somewhere to sleep.
While those with children in an overcrowded school like Highgate Primary, or future parents needing an inner-city option can breathe a sigh of relief, it’s likely the point-scoring between Cr Zempilas and Mr Carey is far from over.
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