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Hamish Hastie

Hamish Hastie

The Sydney Morning Herald

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$100 will barely fill my tank, but I’ll take free money when its on offer

$100 will barely fill my tank, but I’ll take free money when its on offer

The headline of today’s budget was a novel $100 “fuel support payment” that will only just be enough to fill my the tank of my Ford Focus once...

07.05.2026 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

Labor has already hurled billions at WA’s spot fires. What’s left in the budget?

Labor has already hurled billions at WA’s spot fires. What’s left in the budget?

Pick the political thorn in the side of the Cook government and West Australian Treasurer Rita Saffioti has already fired the money cannon at it.

07.05.2026 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

I came across a man dying... and felt totally useless

I knew I needed to help. And I wanted to help. But I found myself frozen, standing around like a traffic cone at a car crash.

26.02.2026 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

The honeymoon period is over: What’s in store in WA politics in 2026

With the election settled, the start of 2026 looks very different to 2025 and each party faces unique challenges as we move into the guts of the...

31.12.2025 30

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

The best roasts of 2025 in WA’s new parliament

A re-energised and (slightly) better resourced opposition under Basil Zempilas has fired up their Parliamentary strategy and, in turn, prompted the...

29.12.2025 20

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

WA’s ‘fairness fighters’ are heading east to talk GST. Will anyone listen?

Heralding Roger Cook, Rita Saffioti and Michael Barnes’ arrival will be a $1 million ad blitz in newspapers, on radio, online and on Canberra...

03.11.2025 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

Roger Cook’s getting paid another $13k a year. Here’s what he should spend it on

Premier Roger Cook was given a $13,740 pay bump with a stroke of the pen from the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal.

24.06.2025 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

A boring budget isn’t such a bad thing in a chaotic world

With the threat of sporadic tariffs and nations teetering on war, a boring budget feels like a warm blanket.

20.06.2025 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

What can punters expect from today’s ‘non-sexy’ WA budget?

Those hoping for a surprise cost of living boost outside of the election commitments may be disappointed.

19.06.2025 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

Optimism is the name of the game, but can the teals cause further upset in WA?

This election the teal independent challenge goes far beyond the traditional inner-city blue ribbon upset that saw Kate Chaney voted into power in...

02.05.2025 20

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

What can we expect from the final stretch of the election campaign in WA?

With the finish line in sight, what will the final push look like from the major parties in the state that could hold the key to their hopes of...

24.04.2025 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

Why have the Liberals changed their tune on Kate Hulett?

Hullet’s placement was one of several surprises contained in the major parties’ how-to-vote cards released over the past two days following the...

17.04.2025 20

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

The budget reveals $17.1 billion in new road and rail funding. Only a fraction of that is heading west

The funding realises the fears of the WA government, with Treasurer Rita Saffioti on Monday predicting the state would be short-changed on...

25.03.2025 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

Zempilas the only choice for WA Liberals to rejoin the fight

The former Lord Mayor and Channel 7 sports presenter has a lot going for him as leader of the Liberals but there are just as many unknowns.

20.03.2025 20

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

Roger Cook’s new cabinet is a branding exercise tied to his economic dreams

Since coming to the job in May 2023, Roger Cook has stated several times he wants to grow other industries so WA is not as reliant on the resources...

18.03.2025 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

WA Labor’s factional makeup has changed dramatically since Saturday. Here’s what we know

Check out the list of WA’s new factional powerbases.

12.03.2025 20

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

Time is ticking for WA Liberals after another catastrophic defeat

The WA Liberals learnt nothing from their supposed rebuild after 2021 and their future in this state is not guaranteed.

09.03.2025 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

The seats to watch in the 2025 WA election

Two opinion polls published Friday suggest the Liberals will claw back between 12.2 and 13 per cent of the two-party vote statewide, which would net...

07.03.2025 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie

First and only WA leaders debate rushed and uninspiring

The pair largely stuck to their talking points in the 40-minute snoozefest in which a small audience watching on determined Cook was the narrow...

24.02.2025 10

WA Today

Hamish Hastie