Basil Zempilas, the high-profile Liberal candidate for Churchlands, is facing off against sitting Labor MP Christine Tonkin and community independent Lisa Thornton in what has become one of Western Australia’s most competitive electoral contests.
Zempilas, a prominent media personality and current Perth Lord Mayor, is raising funds and engaging voters, claiming that his visibility is energising his campaign.
“I think I can win,” Zempilas said, stressing the importance of working hard until the election.
Elsewhere, Tonkin is confident her hard work and the electorate’s dissatisfaction with Zempilas’ past will help her expand her slim margin.
“The more signs Mr Zempilas puts up, the more volunteers I get saying they want to vote for me,” she remarked.
Zempilas has made efforts to meet voters, with his supporters praising his energy and ideas for improving the state.
Volunteer Vivien Porzig called him “honest and personable” while emphasising his focus on economic growth and healthcare.
Despite these efforts, Zempilas remains a polarising figure. His controversial comments about transgender people, made during his radio show, have created lasting tensions.
Churchlands resident Libby Byers, for instance, stated, “If he’s not going to be accepting of all communities, then he shouldn’t be a leader.”
Meanwhile, independent candidate Thornton, who is campaigning on issues like climate change and integrity, is hoping to capture undecided voters by presenting an alternative to the major parties.
Thornton has the support of former independent MP Liz Constable, who believes Churchlands voters appreciate change and may opt for an independent candidate.
For his part, Zempilas has garnered support from the Australian Christian Lobby, which is campaigning heavily for his election. However, questions remain about his stance on transgender issues, and he has not responded to inquiries from media outlets, leaving his views unclear.
With both Zempilas and Tonkin working hard to sway voters, and Thornton aiming to tap into a growing independent movement, Churchlands is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched races in the upcoming election.
Recently, when Roger Cook and Libby Mettam took to the stage to launch their respective election campaigns, the appearance of Zempilas quickly became the main event.
Here, Zempilas alluded to previous Liberal leaders who he said delivered “magnificent and ambitious projects” while getting the basics right, unlike this Labor government.
“I think that our leader and deputy leader have run an outstanding campaign,” he said. “They know what they’re doing, their answer will be a good enough answer for me.”
Source: ABC News.
