WA election 2025: Merome Beard’s car stolen, Jags Krishnan cops verbal abuse as voting kicks off across State

A Liberal candidate’s car was stolen and used in a ram-raid in Carnarvon and a Labor candidate copped abuse in Perth’s south as voting got underway in the State election on Monday. The West Australian can reveal there was a mood for change in some key seats, when early voting booths opened at 8am. “I just want some kind of opposition,” one voter said. Another said: “Hopefully we’ll get some balance back.” An anonymous exit poll of 302 voters, surveyed by The West on Monday, resulted in a 49 per cent first preference result that will raise the Liberal party’s hopes that is on the road to redemption in traditional blue-ribbon seats which were shock losses in 2021. In the State’s north, Liberal candidate Merome Beard was scrambling to produce new how-to-vote cards after her car was stolen in Carnarvon and used in a bottle-shop ram raid on Monday morning. “I looked up and there were three people jumping in the car and they just floored it, they drove off,” she said. “I was kind of caught hanging in the door.” Ms Beard said it happened within seconds on Sunday night, while she was out of the car putting up campaign corflutes. Police have since recovered the car — trashed. “The police do a fantastic job, but their hands are tied. There’s no accountability and there’s no consequences,” she said. “Liquor restrictions are not solving the juvenile crime problem.” In Perth, high profile Liberal candidate Basil Zempilas was polling 70 per cent of first preferences, from early bird voters in Osborne Park, with no momentum for teal-inspired challenger Lisa Thornton. In Carine, Liberal candidate Liam Staltari was polling 65 per cent. It was closer in South Perth, where Liberal candidate Bronwyn Waugh had support from 52 per cent of the voters surveyed. Results were tight in other key seats where Labor has thrown significant campaign resources to shore up rising stars, including Jessica Stojkovski in Kingsley and Lisa Munday in Dawesville. But Labor MP Jags Krishnan could face a fight in Riverton, where Liberal candidate Amanda Spencer-Teo was winning 57 per cent of first preferences. One voter took aim at Dr Krishnan, who tried to hand him a how to vote card, yelling: “Get lost, do what you’re paid to do. You’re useless.” In regional WA, Labor’s Lara Dalton was ahead with 48 per cent of first preference votes in Geraldton and the Liberal and National candidates tied for second place. With a small sample size, the Monday exit poll cannot be compared to previous election results, but senior Labor sources are bracing for what they have called a “correction” four years after a landslide victory. Labor are $1.01 favourites to be re-elected for an historic third term, but Premier Roger Cook has accused the Liberal party of disrespecting voters by withholding its promise costings. “They are treating Western Australians with contempt,” he said. “Today people are deciding on the future of this State for the next four years and the WA liberals do not even have the respect to say how they’re going to pay for their promises.” Speaking at the Liberal announcement of duplication for Shelley Bridge on Leach Highway, shadow treasurer Steve Martin committed to releasing the Liberals’ final budget position next week. “We’re still actually rolling out policies,” he said. “We’re actually out on the ground talking to voters like we are today, dealing with this congestion-busting policy here in Riverton.”