IN our rundown of Vincent council candidates last week we mentioned current councillor Jonathan Hallett put up a motion to ban plastic bags locally. That motion was actually moved by mayor Emma Cole in May. Cr Hallett put forward a different motion in August asking council staff to investigate eliminating the city’s use of plastic…

“Love is love” HIGHGATE photographer Jacqueline Jane van Grootel has photographed 18 same-sex couples to tell their stories in the lead up to the marriage equality postal survey. Along with images of the couples, she’s compiled accounts of their lives together and what marriage equality would mean for them in her exhibition From this day…

AS marriage equality surveys hit letterboxes, Perth MP John Carey is urging Yes campaigners to stay respectful. “We need to maintain a respectful debate, despite what the opposition does,” he says. “Do not belittle, mock, or antagonise No voters in any forum.” The gay Labor MP says he’s stopped looking at social media because whenever…

VINCENT THERE’S been a healthy interest in becoming a councillor at Vincent, with four candidates nominating in each ward (two vacancies in each) for the local government elections on October 21. North Ward (2 vacancies): JOANNE FOTAKIS has been an active local and chairs the Leederville Connect Activation Committee, helping to deliver the Light Up…

The WA state croquet team has won the Interstate Shield for the first time, with five of the winning team hailing from the Forrest Park club in Mt Lawley. Brett and Janine McHardy, Chris McWhirter, Torben Bak and Sue Anderson were part of the 10-person team that claimed the shield at the national competition in…

IT’S Luke Skywalker vs Obi-Wan Kenobi at the Bayswater council elections, with newcomer Steven Ostaszewskyj taking on his old school teacher and current mayor Barry McKenna in Central Ward. Mr Ostaszewskyj, 39, says he’s wanted to be a councillor ever since he won a certificate of commendation from the city for his piano skills in…

PROTECTING statues of colonial figures, keeping Australia Day on January 26 and “removing vagrants and beggars” from city streets are top priorities for Perth council candidate Michael Sutherland. He was the Liberal MP for Mt Lawley for two terms until he was ousted last year, and served as a Perth councillor and deputy lord mayor…

THERE are a few wins in the budget for Voiceland, but overall Perth MP John Carey says “there’s no sugar coating it…it is tough, but I think it’s fair, and the key issue is reducing the expense growth of government agencies and government itself”. The budget’s been hammered by the opposition for its new taxes…

PRO-development group Future Bayswater is concerned the Bayswater town centre structure plan is half-hearted and will not enliven the area. FB member Paul Shanahan says the plan does not permit enough building density and the budget is too small to transform the city centre and encourage people to live there. He says the group are…

DOGS and their humans are invited down to Supreme Court Gardens this Sunday for Hounds Day Out to raise money for Greyhound Adoptions WA. The dogs get bred for racing but up to 500 greyhounds get put down every year in WA because they get injured, aren’t fast enough, don’t feel like racing, aren’t obedient…