Zempilas delivers his first policy pitch and takes aim at Labor’s secret bill for tourism events

Basil Zempilas is picking a fight over WA’s tourism strategy, promising “full transparency” around the cost of each event lured here using taxpayer dollars — if he becomes Premier. It’s his first formal policy pitch three years out from the next State election. The Opposition Leader had previously accused the Cook Government of being addicted to secrecy after it cited commercial-in-confidence provisions to avoid revealing the bill for taxpayers. He had said he believes “in spirit” that West Australians have a right to know. Now he’s gone further and committed to it. “If a Liberal/National government is elected in 2029, I commit to being fully transparent with the people of WA,” Mr Zempilas said. “If we secure an event, after it is staged, people will know how much it cost. As simple as that.” The former AFL commentator has included the recent AFL Origin blockbuster at Optus Stadium in his list of events that should be disclosed, as well as the UFC, AC Milan and the Men’s Rugby World Cup. “We will end the secrecy, we will be honest with the people of Western Australia and we will treat them with the respect this State Government has so arrogantly thrown in their face for a decade,” Mr Zempilas said. Former Premier Mark McGowan had himself vowed that “taxpayers have a right to know” in 2016, when he was in Opposition. Labor changed tack after being elected, citing advice from tourism officials that full disclosure would allow other states to swoop in and offer more. And the Government has accused Mr Zempilas of wanting events to fail. “The Liberal Party has never believed in the major events strategy,” Cabinet Secretary Daniel Pastorelli said in Parliament in February. “We know that the opposition hates AFL Origin, the Women’s Asian Cup and the Perth Bears. “We also know that the Opposition hates motorsport.” Mr Zempilas says releasing the details after the final siren should avoid any impact on price negotiations. “I’m not saying don’t bring them, I’m saying tell us how much they cost, so we can all decide if the value for money is there,” he said. “When the post-event report is released, it will have all the information. How many people attended, how many tickets were given away, how much money was pulled in and how much it cost to get the event.” Tourism WA’s latest annual report claimed that 24 major events generated “record results” in 2024-25. During a Budget estimate hearing in November, Tourism Minister Reece Whitby argued the benefits were hard to quantify. “We can calculate the benefit to the State through out-of-State visitation,” he said. “What we cannot calculate and what we do not include is the cream on the cake — this is additional benefit, but it is hard to quantify — the number of people who see these events in Perth, note it down and then make holiday bookings for a later time. “It is significant. It is working.”