PM briefing: Kirkup and McGowan debate, SMYL students ‘moon’ cameras and Facebook ‘refriends’ Australia

It’s already been an extraordinary day in WA politics after Opposition leader Zak Kirkup ditched the campaign playbook and waved the white flag two weeks ahead of election day.

And tonight he will battle it out with the man claims he cannot beat, Premier Mark McGowan, as the face off for the first time ahead of the March 13 poll.

While it won’t be broadcast on social media, the winner and loser will fill news feeds tomorrow morning with Facebook to reinstate Australian news organisations.

Here are five must-read stories from The West Australian this afternoon.

FACEBOOK TO RE-FRIEND AUSTRALIAN NEWS TOMORROW

It’s been a week since Facebook banned local and international news from its platform, but that will be reversed tomorrow morning as the tech giant ‘re-friends’ Australia.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg confirmed Facebook will restore news services, after the unprecedented move saw news organisations, emergency services and public figures removed from news feeds.

It comes as the Federal Government’s News Media Bargaining Code today became law.

Read the full story here.

KIRKUP TO FACE MCGOWAN AFTER BOMBSHELL ELECTION CALL

WA Liberal leader Zak Kirkup rewrote the campaign playbook when he conceded he can’t beat Mark McGowan just two weeks out from the State election.

And the Opposition leader will tonight face-off with the Premier after vowing to keep ‘fighting’ because an ‘absolute landslide’ would hurt democracy.

Mr McGowan asked for a ‘respectful’ debate earlier this week but it remains to be seen how the State’s leaders will approach the chance to swing voters one way or another.

Read debate panellist Peter Law’s analysis of Kirkup’s ‘big gamble’ here.

AFP WARNS PM NOT TO DELAY REPORTING CRIMES

Australian Federal Police boss Reece Kershaw has written to the PM warning him about delays in reporting crimes following the Brittany Higgins rape allegations.

In the letter to the PM Commissioner Kershaw says he “cannot state strongly enough the importance of timely referrals of allegations of criminal conduct”.

Ms Higgins on Wednesday filed an official complaint over the alleged rape to the AFP, who are investigating the matter. Three other women have since alleged they were assaulted by the same man.

Read the full story here.

STUDENTS AT TRADIE ATTACK SCHOOL ‘MOON’ CAMERAS

It was the footage that shocked WA, when two tradies were attacked by students at a Rockingham school earlier this week.

But the students arriving at SMYL Community College this morning kept up the shock factor, ‘flipping the bird’ and ‘mooning’ photographers.

Police today visited the property to get to the bottom of what caused the violence.

Read the full story and see the photos here.

BHP SHARES HIT NEW RECORD

BHP has cracked another high, boosted by persistently high iron ore prices and the afterglow of last week’s better-than-expected interim payout.

The miner and it’s Pilbara rivals — including Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group — are riding an unexpectedly strong price rally that has fattened profits and dividends.

Iron ore prices have traded above $US100 a tonne since July on the back of demand from Chinese steel mills rushing to fill Beijing’s infrastructure-driven economic recovery from COVID-19.

Read the full story and see the share prices here.