Basil Zempilas Announces Bid for WA Liberal Preselection in Churchlands

After months of speculation, Basil Zempilas, the Lord Mayor of Perth and a well-known TV personality, has officially announced his intention to seek preselection for the seat of Churchlands in the upcoming WA state election. Zempilas, who plans to join the WA Liberal Party, stated his goal of bringing more balance to the political system and ultimately producing a better government, regardless of which party is in power.

Zempilas intends to fulfill his mayoral duties until the writs for the 2025 state election are issued. Citing the example of Tracy Roberts, who remained as Mayor of Wanneroo while running for a federal seat, Zempilas plans to take a leave of absence if successful in preselection and resign if elected.

WA Liberal Leader Libby Mettam has welcomed the announcement, expressing confidence in the preselection process and her leadership. While Zempilas’ ambitions to become WA Premier have been a topic of discussion, he emphasized that his focus is solely on winning the preselection for the Churchlands seat.

If successful, Zempilas would challenge Labor’s Christine Tonkin, who won the seat in the previous election. With a notional 1.6% margin, Churchlands is considered the Labor Party‘s most marginal seat. Political analyst Peter Kennedy believes that if the Liberal Party presents a high-profile candidate like Zempilas, they could potentially regain the seat.

Basil Zempilas, who has built an extensive profile through his work in broadcasting, including hosting Telethon and commentating for the Olympics, is seen as a valuable asset to the WA Liberal Party. His ability to advocate for Perth ratepayers and strong media presence makes him an attractive candidate in the eyes of the party.

Zempilas has faced some controversies during his tenure as Lord Mayor, particularly for his handling of the closure of the safe night space. Christine Tonkin believes that this issue could work in her favor, as she has received criticism from women voters in the electorate. Nonetheless, she remains confident in her position and aims to defend her seat against any opponent.