Deputy Premier Roger Cook doesn't believe Perth's lord mayor, Basil Zempilas, is being deliberately sidelined.
Tourism Minister and Deputy Premier Roger Cook says an announcement about building an Aboriginal cultural centre is more important than who is making the announcement.
Mr Cook was reacting to the omission of the Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas from a press conference led by Premier Mark McGowan yesterday, which revealed the centre would be built behind the Perth Concert Hall in the CBD.
A car park managed by the City of Perth will be removed to make way for the development touted as being a match for the iconic Sydney Opera House.
But the lord mayor wasn’t invited to the announcement, further fuelling speculation that the premier’s office has a ban on his attendance at city-based government announcements.
“I think what’s more important is that we focus on the cultural centre not the people who are announcing it,” Mr Cook said.
He wasn’t sure why the lord mayor was off the invite list yesterday, or on several other occasions, including the redevelopment of Yagan Square, which was announced by Local Government Minister John Carey.
“I don’t know,” Mr Cook said. “I wasn’t at the event yesterday. I have been at previous events with the mayor. These are decision that are made regularly, I suppose. I’ll leave it up to others to commentate on those issues.”
The premier said yesterday that Mr Zempilas wasn't invited because the cultural centre in the city is currently being funded by the state and federal governments.
"It's par for the course," Mr McGowan said.
The lord mayor said he was unaware of a formal decision to sideline him from joint press conferences with the premier.
"If there are any issues then they are not issues from my side of the fence," Mr Zempilas said.
Senior government figures believe Mr Zempilas, a long-time sports reporter and broadcaster for Kerry Stokes’ Seven network, will contest the 2025 state election for the Liberal Party and that is one reason for keeping him at arm’s length for big announcements.
“I don’t think these decisions are made on the basis of political affiliations, I think they’re made on the importance of the announcement,” Mr Cook told reporters. “The announcement yesterday was incredibly important to the people of Western Australia.”
Mr Zempilas has repeatedly ruled out a tilt at state politics and says he intends to run for the lord mayor’s position again in 2023.
Mr Cook said the significance of the cultural centre site should not be lost in the debate about the lord mayor’s relationship with Mr McGowan.
“It’s an exceptional location,” he said. “This is going to be an iconic building for WA. It will be an incredible tourism opportunity as well.
“We know 87 per cent of people who come from overseas as tourists want an Indigenous cultural experience. Only 17 per cent leaving have had that experience.”
The centre is due for completion in 2028.
