Basil Zempilas: Burswood Park racetrack is a project with no business case and a waste of $220 million

1. The spaceman has landed. Sixty-three years after John Glenn’s historic flight on the Friendship 7 spacecraft, Perth has a glorious tribute to our city of light origin story. The 7 metre Boonji Spaceman, a gift to the City of Perth from American artist Brendan Murphy, stands tall on St Georges Terrace from today. Statue erection, like space flight, is difficult and at times dangerous work but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Just like the residents who turned their lights on for Glenn back in 1962, Perth’s ability to pull off the remarkable should never be underestimated.

2. This week in Parliament I asked the Premier what is the point of community consultation if that community consultation is going to be ignored? That is precisely what is happening with Rita’s racetrack at Burswood Park. This is a project with no business case, no community support and no transparency. The WA Liberals do not support this reckless, wasteful use of $220 million of taxpayer money on a project which simply does not stack up.

3. For 24 years Ken Gibbons has run the Community Cinemas at Burswood Park. He’s been told he has to move the much-loved summer favourite to a new location, which he says won’t work, to make way for changes associated with the ill-conceived racetrack. A racetrack prioritised over community, that’s what’s happening here.

4. Eleven weeks after the election, finally the big day has arrived for the five new members of the Liberal’s Legislative Council team. Congratulations and welcome to Anthony Spagnolo, Michelle Boylan, Phil Twiss, Michelle Hoffman and Simon Ehrenfeld. See you at work members.

5. And with that, it’s farewell and thank you to our retiring MLCs Donna Faragher and Peter Collier. Both have enjoyed magnificent 20-year parliamentary careers and both have made enormous contributions to the people of WA. We thank them for their service.

6. How they choose to operate in Canberra is their business, but the working relationship between the WA Liberals and the Nationals WA is as strong as ever. Our alliance is constructive, co-operative and united in a shared mission to hold the Cook Labor Government to account.

7. The best thing Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt can do for the people of WA is approve the extension of the North West Shelf development. Actually, there’s one thing better he can do: approve it tomorrow.

8. Walyalup is a great name for the Dockers to adopt during and around Sir Doug Nicholls Round. But the club’s name is Fremantle. Saturday’s win against the Giants was a beauty but it shouldn’t be the catalyst for a permanent name change as some are suggesting.

9. The Eagles black and gold WA Day jumper looks great. First in, best dressed, right?

10. Vale Adam Selwood. A lovely man, always so kind, he didn’t deserve this pain. Nor do his family and friends. My sincere condolences.