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  • Cutting drama

    BLUNT could be the most Fremantle film ever made – it was shot in the port city, most of the cast and crew are locals, and it was partly funded by a gig with Freo bands.

    In fact, a lot of the scenes were filmed around the corner from the Chook’s office at The Bistrot Cafe in the city’s historic West End.

    The short indie film follows an aspiring young chef trying to prove himself at a struggling restaurant, while battling a sceptical family and the threat of closure. Determined to succeed, he takes an unconventional and daring step to keep his culinary dream alive. But at what cost?

    • The indie short Blunt was filmed in the heart of Fremantle.

    In recent years there have been a spate of dramas about the pressures of working in a commercial kitchen, so what make’s Blunt stand out from the crowd?

    “What sets our story apart is that our lead character doesn’t get what he wants – he doesn’t win,” says Blunt director Alex Power.

    “So many of these narratives end with the chef triumphing, even after a struggle.

    “What I loved about Blunt is that he falls short of his original goal, yet he isn’t defeated. Instead, he carves out his own path, one that values the people around him.

    “It reinforces the idea that success isn’t always about leaving to chase greatness – it can be about making the best of what’s already in front of you.”

    Shot in 2024, Blunt was entirely self-funded with the Freo community rallying around to help get it made, including a special fundraising gig with local bands Ghost Care, Spici Water and Daisy Park.

    Almost all the extras in the last scene at the restaurant are from Fremantle and Hamilton Hill, the film’s co-writer and lead actor Archie Lush grew up in the port city and went to John Curtin College of the Arts, and editor Hamish Paterson and co-writer/actor Luis Basnett live in the port city.

    A lot of the props and set designs were taken from the feature film Overture which wrapped the day before production started on Blunt, and the filmmakers enlisted local chef Iara Arruda to make sure the kitchen scenes were realistic.

    Power lived and worked in Freo for half a decade and says there’s nowhere else like it in Australia.

    “The arts are woven into the fabric of Freo’s culture, so choosing to film there was an easy decision,” the director says. 

    “What makes it even more special is the way the community, even those outside the arts, rally around creatives.

    “When it came to finding the perfect locations, the locals stepped up, offering their resources and support to help bring this film to life. That spirit of championing artists and artistry is what I find so special about Freo.”

    The short film has been well-received by critics and is gaining traction on the festival circuit – it’s in contention at St Kilda Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival and Tribeca. 

    Power is an up-and-coming director who has made several award-winning short films including Extremely Irrevocably Dead and Lola’s.

    He’s worked on the set of major international productions with heavyweight directors like Baz Luhrmann, Ron Howard and Zak Hilditch, and recently finished working on a film with Aussie auteur Bruce Beresford.

    “I’ve worked on a range of sets – from big Hollywood productions to independent TV and countless short films – and if there’s one constant, it’s that it’s never easy,” Power says.

    “Every project is a labour of love, with everyone involved, from the actors to the PAs, pouring everything they have into it.

    “For me personally, this project came at an intense time. I had just finished working on a Bruce Beresford film, shooting around Fremantle while we were deep in pre-production.

    “I was spending 60 hours a week on set, then using every free moment – every sleepless night – getting this film ready. 

    “So honestly, the entire process was a challenge – but that’s always the case. And we do it because we love it.”

    To find out more about Blunt see instagram.com/Bluntshortfilm.

    by STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • Trump’s prototype 

    AS the world looks on, astonished at the theatrics being played out on the stage of the White House, Perth has an opportunity to observe August: Osage County. 

    It’s a stunner of a play that uses the metaphor of the collapse of an American family to interrogate the internal contradictions that have slowly rotted the USA such that many people failed to notice.

    The setting is Oklahoma’s largest county, Osage, which is adjacent to the Osage Native American reservation, a reality that quietly suffuses the play. 

    It is an area where stalwart European pioneers eradicated both the bison and the Native Americans to erect their comfortable lives at enormous environmental cost. 

    The state has consistently voted for Republican presidential candidates for 60 years. 

    Donald Trump won over 66% of the Oklahoma vote in 2024.

    Readers of Anne Case and Angus Deaton’s book, Deaths of Despair will know that opioid addiction is ravaging the USA to the extent that national life expectancy is declining. 

    What is more alarming is research published by the American Medical Association’s JAMA journal following the 2016 election that showed that voting for Donald Trump directly correlated with areas with the largest number of opioid prescriptions.

    August: Osage County was written before Trump’s arrival as president, but it surveys the territory, pointing to the future that has now arrived. 

    As director Eamon Flack says in his notes in the play program, even though it was written in 2006, “the America of the Trump era is all there in prototype. 

    The questions the play asks are the same questions we all face now as Trump begins his transition back to the White House.”

    In the play three generations of the Weston family have gathered in the high heat of summer in the decrepit, over-heated family home presided over by the cancer-wracked, poison-tongued, opioid-addicted matriarch Violet (portrayed to perfection by Pamela Rabe). 

    The gathering is forced upon the characters because the family patriarch, retired poet and full-time alcoholic Beverly (Geoff Kelso), has gone missing.

    Beverly gently opens the play with quotations from T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Men. 

    His is a voice of old school liberalism and sensitivity. 

    Will those values be heard again in this house where the thermostat is always set to maximum? 

    All the characters swelter under the dictate of Violet, who has lost thermal sensitivity, possibly due to chemotherapy. 

    Or is this a reference to global warming? It certainly is a hot house of emotional intensity as the family’s fissures erupt.

    There are many high points of dramatic emotionality in this play, but what made it a hit with the opening night audience was the skilful use of black humour laced through the script. 

    At three hours length with two 15-minute intermissions August: Osage County could be a heavy load for an audience. 

    But the note-perfect pacing of the material and top-notch acting by the large ensemble kept the crowd gasping at the revelations and laughing at the mayhem. 

    Nobody lingered in the foyer at the end of the breaks; everyone came barrelling back to their seats for the start of each act.

    There are one or two points of reference where an Australian audience might need a bit of help. 

    One is a rendition of the unofficial US national anthem, America the Beautiful. 

    The song nearly has the status of a hymn in the US and its appearance in the play anchors it as a national commentary, not only a tale of family dysfunction.

    The second is a mural visually referencing a George Carlin painting showing a bison running from its hunter. 

    Carlin was the great illustrator of Native American life, but in the play the Native American in Carlin’s painting is missing. 

    To an American this would immediately call to mind the erasure of Indigenous culture.

    In August: Osage County the worst of America is exposed in microcosm. 

    There is casual racism, misogyny, passing reference to imperialist use of mercenaries, selfish individualism and a wilful refusal to deal with the national foundation that is shared with Australia, genocide.

    As is said in the script: “You know, this country was always pretty much a whorehouse, but at least it used to have some promise. Now it’s just a shithole.”

    Of course, now Donald Trump uses that last word to describe certain countries and through the magic of the AUKUS submarine deal that status is coming to us. 

    How will this all end, echoing The Hollow Men, with a bang or a whimper? Luckily, August: Osage County has come in time to warn us.

    August: Osage County
    Black Swan Until March 16

    by BARRY HEALY

  • Dramatican

    CONCLAVE peels back the ornate curtain of the Vatican to reveal a drama brimming with ambition, secrecy, and humanity’s frailties.

    Described as a political thriller, I found it more of drama with a twist.

    Unlike political elections played out in public, this is centred on the sacred yet politically charged process of electing a new Pope.   

    We only see the smoke revealing either a non-decision or that a new Pope has been elected, so now we have an inside dramatic look at what goes on behind heavy wooden doors and sealed windows of the Vatican.

    The grandeur of the Sistine Chapel and the rituals of the conclave provide a stunning backdrop where Cardinal Lawrence ( Ralph Fiennes) tasked to leading this process, unveils the private lives and hidden motives of the cardinals—some who covet the papal throne and others who would rather avoid it. 

    What unfolds is a riveting exploration of human nature, where faith is tested and ugly truths emerge, even within this holy setting. 

    While the film is steeped in ancient tradition, it’s the humanity of the cardinals that makes it gripping. 

    These are men tasked with serving God, yet they wrestle with jealousy, pride, and insecurity—proving that even the holy are not immune to human flaws. 

    The tension builds as alliances shift, votes are swayed, secrets come to light, bombs explode and the ultimate decision hangs in the balance.

    No wonder it picked up best film at this year’s BAFTAs.

    4/5 chickens

    by PAULA HOLLAND

  • Singing Jolie’s praises

    MARIA CALLAS, the quintessential diva of 20th-century opera, might not sing to everyone’s taste, but her life—filled with glamour, heartbreak, and relentless pressure—transcends the operatic stage. 

    In Maria, Angelina Jolie delivers a compelling performance as Callas during the final weeks of her life, capturing the fragility and fire of a woman who lived in the spotlight but died in solitude.

    Intimate

    The film avoids being a melodramatic ode to opera and instead offers an intimate exploration of Callas’s human side. 

    We see the toll of fame: the weight of perfection, the loss of love, and the loneliness that comes with being deified. 

    Jolie’s portrayal is nuanced, conveying both Callas’s vulnerability and her unapologetic defiance. 

    Even for someone who isn’t a fan of opera, Jolie’s performance makes Callas’s struggles relatable.

    The recreating of some of Maria’s famous operas scenes interwoven with her trying to find her voice in her last weeks was sadness personified, reminding me that the good times, your youth and best years of your life, will pass.

    The cinematography adds to the poignancy, with Paris’s moody streets mirroring Callas’s isolation; which we all feel at some time, but how great would it be to have the Parisienne vibe as your background for contemplation. 

    The sparse but meaningful inclusion of her music underscores key moments, giving glimpses of why she was revered without alienating those unfamiliar with opera.

    The film’s strength lies in its ability to humanise a legend. 

    It’s less about opera and more about the universal pressures of living up to the world’s expectations while grappling with personal demons. 

    Jolie was a perfect choice for the role, embodying Callas’s grace, strength and inner turmoil.

    For anyone intrigued by the complexities of fame or the lives of iconic women, directed by Pablo Larrain who also directed Spencer and Jackie, Maria is a must-watch—whether or not you enjoy opera.

    4/5 chickens

    by PAULA HOLLAND

  • Throw this baby out

    BABYGIRL, staring Nicole Kidman and Antonio Banderas, is a deeply unsettling psychological drama that revels in ambiguity and alienates more than it intrigues. 

    The story tries to push boundaries and light a shock fire but instead is a slow burner, leaving you wonder why??? What is the point? 

    Nicole portrays Romy, a high-powered CEO of some company introducing robotics to the workplace. 

    She puts her reputation and family at risk as she embarks on a stormy relationship with a new, young intern Samuel (Harris Dickinson).  

    Meanwhile her theatre director husband Jacob (Banderas) invokes sympathy and seems to be a devoted husband, unaware of the glaring signs of an affair.

    Kidman delivers her usual precision as a woman unravelling under the weight of exposure and the desire for the coercive control of Samuel.  

    He confuses us with the face of a nice guy but the  perversion to control and dominate. 

    This is not any shade of grey, just disturbing and pointless.

    It was more a turn off than a turn on and more than once,  I wondered what her family would think. 

    The script offers little clarity, forcing the audience to wade through long, drawn-out, embarrassing scenes that hint at deeper meaning without ever delivering.
    It is neither exciting nor thrilling – just a prolonged, painful experience that tests the patience more than intellect. 

    For those who appreciate deliberately vague, challenging cinema, Babygirl may hold some curiosity and appeal. 

    However, for most, it’s an exercise in endurance rather than engagement. 

    If ambiguity and discomfort is your thing, go for it. 

    Otherwise, it’s a tough sit-through that just isn’t worth the effort – I was one of only five people in the audience, and that speaks volumes.

    2/5 chickens (for Antonio)

    by PAULA HOLLAND

  • Fresh voices

    SOUTH Fremantle’s Charlotte Carles has been selected to be UNICEF’s Young Ambassador for Western Australia.

    It’s a proud moment for the 22-year-old who joins the group of 11 new Young Ambassadors, aged between 16 and 23 years old, from across the nation.

    A total of 350 folk applied to be a young ambassador and Carles had to go through a lengthy and rigorous application process with individual and group interviews. In her role, she will advocate for the rights of children.

    Carles has a long history of volunteering and helping the disadvantaged, including leading an initiative for UNESCO in Jakarta, where she promoted Indonesian youth voices in policy making and helped sew sanitary products for women in poverty.

    Recently she founded Gen Z Abroad, a not-for-profit that connects and supports young people in the community.

    • South Fremantle’s Charlotte Carles.

    “Our financial literacy program aims to support young locals in the cost-of-living crisis,” Carles says.

    “We recently ran a community event, supported by the City of Fremantle, at the Local Hotel in South Freo where 50 young locals attended to receive education and support on topics such as investing, budgeting and superannuation. 

    “Our second program provides professional mentorship to newly arrived refugees in Australia.

    “We also facilitate connections between young people across borders through articles written by our Gen Z Abroad ambassadors, who are inspiring young people in 12 countries.”

    As part of her 18-month ambassadorial role, Carles will receive training from UNICEF on how to advocate effectively at the highest level.

    “We will implement these skills in forums such as the ‘A Generation Online’ Webinar which connects young Australians to key stakeholders,” she says.

    “I’m really looking forward to consulting with young people across the country and presenting these findings to policymakers.

    “In the Digital Wellbeing portfolio, my particular advocacy focus will be on how my generation can move into the digital future in a way that is safe for young people.”

    With the WA state election held today (Saturday March 8) and the federal election looming, Carles says she is concerned about unregulated AI and the impact of technology on young folk in Australia.

    “As Gen Z, we’re entering adulthood in unprecedented times with technology changing the world in ways that we never imagined,” she says.

    “Young people today are growing up in a different world to the one that our parents grew up in, so I’m hoping to see governments across Australia come together to enact legislation which protects young people from the dangers of technology such as unregulated AI.

    “With the upcoming elections, I’m hoping to see our next governments at the state and federal levels enshrine young people’s voices into policymaking.”

    UNICEF Australia CEO Tony Stuart said to effectively advocate for the rights of children, they must first listen to what they have to say. “From all corners of the country and each with unique life experiences, we want to know what is important to Australia’s young people and how we can address the issues that impact them,” he says.

    “That is why our Young Ambassador program is central to our mission, and to our ability to reach the young people who don’t feel heard.”

    UNICEF operates in more than 190 countries in some of the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children. 

    It relies entirely on voluntary donations to improve health, education and nutrition, and to respond to global emergencies.

    To find out more about UNICEF Australia or to donate, see unicef.org.au.

    by STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • Lavish abode

    THIS Maylands home has quite the entry statement.

    A towering archway soars up to the roofline, giving the house a sense of grandeur.

    It’s a fantastic architectural feat and there’s a clever echo of the archway motif on the windows and garage, creating a nice symmetry.

    So what’s the inside of this four bedroom two bathroom home like?

    Well it’s lavish and big with marble, spa baths, water features and designer bars at every turn.

    And just when you think it couldn’t get much better, the home is directly beside Lake Brearley with stunning views of the water from multiple rooms and vantage points.

    It really is a stunning abode with loads going for it.

    The open plan living/dining/kitchen area is bright and gleaming white.

    The large floor tiles add a nice texture and muted colour to the area and really set it off.

    The owners must like billiards as they have a pool table and bar in the living area.

    It’s a fantastic spot and you have great views of the Lake through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

    From here you have direct access to a massive wraparound terrace/alfresco, which has a water feature and raised garden beds.

    Only a fence separates you from the Lake and it feels like you’re floating on an island.

    The main bedroom is spectacular with a huge corner spa bath, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the Lake below.

    The home includes a theatre room, spacious study, powder room, large laundry, and a stunning water-filled balustrade that cascades down to the dining area (you have to see it).

    Situated on a 441sqm block on Clarkson Road on the Maylands Peninsula, you are close to the Swan River, lots of reserves, and around the corner from Waterland and the local tennis club.

    It’s a fantastic spot where you can really make the most of Perth’s outdoor lifestyle.

    This is a lavish and stylish home in a fantastic Maylands location.

    49 Clarkson Road, Maylands
    Offers in the high $1 millions
    Beaucott Property
    9272 2488
    Agent Paul Owen
    0411 601 420

  • Lib addresses One Nation ties

    PERTH’S Liberal candidate says he’s been “beat up” by the press over being a former One Nation candidate and staffer, but Pauline Hanson’s party was the only one to back his push for a Royal Commission into the banking sector back in 2017.

    Sean Butler, a builder and former hotel owner, ran for a seat in WA’s Upper House for One Nation in 2017 after meeting Hanson at a senate banking inquiry a year earlier. He was trying to get to the bottom of why Bankwest had foreclosed on his hotel assets, including the National Hotel in Fremantle, despite never having missed a loan payment. He suspected the Rudd government had done a deal with the Commonwealth Bank to trim its bloated loans portfolio after the latter agreed to purchase Bankwest from the Bank of Scotland after a disastrous and aggressive expansion program put it at risk of collapse.

    • Liberal contender for Perth, Sean Butler.

    “The media has beat me up about that, but I was there just to do a job,” Mr Butler said.

    “It’s on the public record through your newspaper that I disagree with her extreme views.”

    “ I disagreed with Pauline on a number of things, but when I got the Banking Royal Commission, and after doing the GST work, I resigned on good terms with them and moved on.”

    Mr Butler said the Liberal Party welcomed him back, understanding his motivations and after agreeing in retrospect that the Royal Commission had been a good idea.

    “The party know that I’m not a nutter. I worked behind the scenes in the Senate for two years and saw both sides of politics.”

    Mr Butler’s main campaign focus is the worsening housing crisis in WA, an issue he says is deeply personal. 

    “I’ve got four daughters, I’ve got two granddaughters, and I live in an apartment. 

    “I see people queuing up to go to home opens, you know, 20-30 people, and rents have gone from $350 to $700 a week. 

    “It can be queues of 30 people that only one’s going to get.”

    As a builder, Mr Butler argues Labor has failed to address supply bottlenecks, skilled labour shortages, and planning inefficiencies that contribute to the crisis.

    “We don’t have the people, but there’s more than that. There’s a whole lot of bottlenecks and planning and all sorts of things. This has been happening for years. We just have to think outside the box and do more.”

    He is running against housing and homelessness minister John Carey, in a strong Labor seat, a decision Mr Butler says underscores his commitment to the issue. 

    “I live just a few minutes’ walk from the city. I walk into the city every day. I see homeless people every day. I know the issues that are there with all sorts of social issues, and John Carey is the minister for housing and homelessness.”

    He says the unexpected success in forcing a royal commission was a prompt to running again: “If I jump and make a bit of noise, it just might help a little bit.”

    He credits his advocacy work in securing over $10 billion in compensation for more than 40,000 Australians who were victims of banking misconduct. 

    “Previously, I had been in the Liberal Party for years, but the Liberal Party weren’t promoting that cause. In hindsight, the Liberal Party realised that was a good thing.”

    Beyond housing, Mr Butler has also set his sights on health funding, ambulance ramping, and mental health services, issues he believes are exacerbated by government mismanagement. 

    “Mental health really concerns me because I think a lot of the homelessness and social problems in Perth get down to mental health. Funding for mental health has been cut.”

    With WA now receiving a greater share of the GST, Mr Butler argues there is no excuse for continued shortcomings. 

    “Of all the states, we’ve got the biggest surplus in Western Australia. 

    “We’re a mining resource-rich state. 

    “Years ago, we were getting 30 cents the dollar, but now we’re getting a fair share. Why can’t we spend those surpluses now?”

    Mr Butler remains realistic about his chances in the upcoming election but insists his primary goal is to spark debate and push for action. “It would be a big stretch to win it, but just to raise the issue… everyone, just about everyone talks about the cost-of-living crisis and housing. I just want to be a voice in the wilderness, I guess.”

    by STEVE GRANT

  • Carey in box seat for third

    PERTH’S sitting member John Carey has touted his efforts to drive significant infrastructure investments and community-focused projects in the area during his term in office. 

    Reflecting on the past four years, Mr Carey emphasised his strong commitment to local schools, public spaces, and community projects.

    “I’ve worked really hard with P&Cs, local community groups and the City of Vincent to get investment in infrastructure, whether it’s school improvements at Kyilla Primary School, investment in Robertson Park or other reserves, even down to the basics of building a toilet block at Birdwood Square,” Mr Carey said. 

    “But one of the things that’s been really pleasing, which was a project I personally championed, is the Mount Hawthorn skate space. It has been incredibly popular. I’ve had overwhelmingly positive response, and ultimately that’s just about getting kids away from their screens and getting outdoors.”

    Mr Carey also highlighted his advocacy for education, particularly his work in securing a new primary school in East Perth. “Another one that I’ve championed with Highgate P&C school board is to secure a new primary school,” he said. “It is the biggest single investment in a public primary school; more than $160 million for East Perth. It’s going to revitalise the east end of the city, provide amenities for residents.

    • Sitting Labor member John Carey.

    “It’s been designed as a vertical primary school, which is unique, and it’s a city location,” he said. 

    “It will be a signature primary school, and of course, it will just revitalise the area.”

    The school will be part of a broader effort to revitalise the eastern precinct of Perth, where Mr Carey believes such amenities are essential to accommodate the growing population in the city centre.

    As a member of the Cook Labor government, Mr Carey has also been involved in the redevelopment of key infrastructure projects, such as the WAACA redevelopment, which includes a new aquatic and recreational facility for local residents. 

    However, the relationship between the state government and Perth’s lord mayor Basil Zempilas has been strained over those projects. With Mr Zempilas’s likely success as a candidate in the neighbouring seat of Churchlands, Mr Carey’s confident the relationship can be reset. 

    “It’s sad to me that we had that conflict,” he said. “And I’m hopeful with potentially a new City of Perth leadership, that we can rebuild the relationship.”

    Looking forward, Mr Carey identified housing as a major challenge for the electorate. The demand for housing in inner-city Perth has been escalating, and Carey has been a vocal advocate for affordable housing solutions. “We need more housing in the city areas to cater for the population growth that we’re seeing,” he said. “That’s why I have been a passionate advocate of new development right in the heart of the city.”

    He pointed to specific projects, such as the new build-to-rent affordable housing in Pier Street and the Stirling Street redevelopment, which will provide a mix of social and affordable rentals. “For me, it is the ongoing challenge of creating density in the heart of the city, which in turn creates more vibrancy, safer streets, more support for small business,” he explained.

    The affordability of housing in Perth has been impacted by market failure and rising construction costs. Mr Carey acknowledged these issues but reassured residents that the state government is responding by providing funding for key infrastructure. “The state government has, for example, created an infrastructure fund, which is actually helping to get private developers feeding the high-density projects off the ground,” he noted. “So we’ve got to do that. We’ve got to facilitate high, medium to high-density development in the heart of the city.”

    One initiative Carey is particularly excited about is the relocation of Edith Cowan University’s City campus, which he believes will be a game-changer for the revitalisation of the area, especially Yagan Square. “ECU City campus is a massive investment by state and federal governments, and ECU will be a game changer for the city,” he said. “It’s going to have a major benefit in terms of foot traffic, people day and night. And of course, that’ll benefit Yagan Square.”

    Carey is also committed to maintaining a strong connection with the local community. Throughout his career, he has made a point of engaging directly with residents, often through door-knocking sessions. 

    “I’ve worked hard to remain highly engaged, accessible and active in the local community,” he stated. “I’ve continued to door knock most weekends. So I’ve done that for the past 12 years as the mayor and as the member, and I’ve really tried to remain acceptable and having face-to-face conversations,” he told the Voice.

    by STEVE GRANT

  • Choice conservative

    MT LAWLEY’S Liberal candidate in next Saturday’s state election, Michelle Sutherland, says her political views were shaped by a formative holiday in Eastern Europe after completing her tertiary studies.

    Witnessed firsthand the effects of socialism, she says the comparison to a free economy were stark.

    “When you travel over there, there’s sort of no choice. You go to the shops, or that sort of thing, and there’s not the choice, because everything’s organised by the government.

    “And I always think—people always want to get out of there; they never want to go live there.”

    It’s perhaps not the political journey her family might have expected.

    • Michelle Sutherland

    “I grew up in a Labor family, but as I got older, just thinking about what I saw crystallised my thinking. You know what it’s like when you travel when you’re young—you have more of a good time. But it’s when you get older that you start thinking about things.”

    Ms Sutherland criticised WA Labor government’s handling of finances post-Covid, arguing that despite “rivers of gold” from mining and record GST revenue, the cost of living continued to climb. 

    “Water has gone through the roof, car registration, all those sorts of things. Would it have been better to keep those costs down? We do get power rebates, but that’s an acknowledgment from federal and state governments that power is high.”

    She also took aim at electricity price hikes. “The electricity fixed daily supply charge rose from 48 cents to 94.9 cents. And so that resulted in a 10 per cent increase in power bills.”

    Ms Sutherland backed her party’s commitment to reducing the charge to 46.3 cents a day.

    Locally, Ms Sutherland has weighed in on the future of the Edith Cowan University site.

    “Obviously, there’s got to be some diversity in housing, but what is annoying is that we won’t know what’s going to happen till after the election. 

    “And the bit that people are worried about is they don’t want too many high-rise and huge density, like what’s happening in other parts of Perth.”

    She suggested incorporating more recreational spaces. “Maybe more parks, facilities like basketball, a youth-centric centre. 

    “It would be great to have more things like maybe a skate park, basketball, that sort of thing. Volleyball, where it’s all there and the young ones can go. It’s a good location for that, because you’ve got eyes on the street.”

    Ms Sutherland has opposed measures to impose regulations on tree retention on private property while a Bayswater councillor.

    “Because I think private property is your property, and I don’t agree that the reach of the government should go into people’s private property,” she said, despite concerns subdivisions are contributing to a loss of tree canopy.

    She’s got a different approach to protecting the canopy: “The Water Corp owns all the water sumps and put big fences around them, because obviously they don’t want accidents to happen. 

    “But if we want to increase our tree canopy, why can’t they get rid of those and put nice trees and make it like a park?”

    Ms Sutherland supports plans to redevelop Beaufort Street to increase the housing diversity.

    “I think people are realising that we’ve got to all share the load, but I think the biggest issue is not to take away the historical value of the place.”

    She also feels Wanneroo Road and Main Street have escaped attention and could probably take more development. 

    Ms Sutherland says a full rebuild of Royal Perth Hospital, pledged by Liberal leader Libby Mettam would be a “game changer. For some treatments, you now have to go to Sir Charles Gairdner or Fiona Stanley hospitals. A world-class new hospital in the city would make a huge difference.”

    by STEVE GRANT