In 2021, Labor won the usually safe Liberal seat of Churchlands by a razor thin margin and now it's shaping up to be one of the key electorates to watch ahead of next year's state election.
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00:00 Years on radio and television and now as Perth Lord Mayor, Basil Zemplis regularly generates
00:08 headlines.
00:09 I'm very sorry for the comments that I made.
00:12 Commonwealth Games.
00:14 Now attention's turned to Monday's looming deadline for Mr Zemplis to join the Liberal
00:18 Party if he's to be pre-selected in Churchlands.
00:22 Basil Zemplis just three months ago said that he was going to be the City of Perth Lord
00:27 Mayor for the next four years.
00:29 Without wishing to be pedantic, I'm not sure that I ever said that.
00:32 What I did say was I'm absolutely committed to one election and one election only and
00:37 that was the election of Lord Mayor back in October.
00:40 Basil Zemplis says if he tries for state politics, he could also manage his duties as Mayor up
00:46 until the election in March 2025.
00:49 And for now, that remains a question of if.
00:52 I think I'm almost there and locked away in my mind.
00:56 But I'm going to let these few days play out.
00:59 Labor's sitting MP for Churchlands has made up her mind.
01:03 They will have a fight on their hands from me and I think I have a lot of support, particularly
01:09 among women voters.
01:11 Christine Tonkin will be up against Basil Zemplis's large profile.
01:15 To be honest, not a big fan of Basil.
01:17 I think he's worth a shot.
01:19 I think he's worth a shot.
01:20 I like Basil and he'll stir things up.
01:23 I think Basil Zemplis would be an absolute disaster.
01:25 Why's that?
01:27 The guy is a showboat first and foremost and a politician second.
01:32 And what about Libby Metham?
01:33 How's she going as opposition leader?
01:34 Invisible.
01:35 Who?
01:36 Yeah, nah.
01:37 Many suspect Basil Zemplis has his eyes on Libby Metham's leadership position.
01:46 But political analyst Peter Kennedy says regardless, the pair will need a good working relationship.
01:51 The WA Liberal Party needs Basil Zemplis more than Basil Zemplis needs the WA Liberal Party.
01:57 An announcement is expected by Monday.
02:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]