Cason Ho
Cason Ho is a reporter in the Perth newsroom. He started as a news operations assistant at the ABC in 2021.
Latest by Cason Ho
John Quigley to resign as WA's attorney-general and leave parliament, saying he is on his 'last lap'
By Cason Ho and WA state political reporter Keane Bourke
WA's attorney-general and oldest sitting MP John Quigley announces he will not contest the 2025 state election, saying it is "the right time" to step down following a summer of reflection.
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PM accuses opposition of being 'cheer squad' for people smugglers as row over boat arrivals continues
By Andrea Mayes, Cason Ho, and Rosanne Maloney
The federal government and opposition trade barbs as a group of nearly 40 foreign nationals who arrived by boat to a remote part of WA on Friday is transferred to an offshore detention centre in Nauru.
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Liberal MP Ian Goodenough warns of 'civil war' after losing Moore preselection, considers independent run
By WA state political reporter Keane Bourke and Cason Ho
Sitting MP Ian Goodenough has lost Liberal preselection to former Stirling MP Vince Connelly, marking the second time in a week a Liberal incumbent has failed to become the party's preferred candidate.
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Local shire and contractor charged under first test case of amended Juukan Gorge laws
By Cason Ho
Western Australia's newly amended cultural heritage laws are being put to the test for the first time, six months after the state government was forced to backflip on its decision to introduce controversial sweeping legislative changes.
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After five weeks stuck at sea, thousands of livestock are set to land in WA
By Cason Ho
After more than a month at sea, thousands of cattle and sheep on board the MV Bahijah are set to be allowed on land in WA this week. Here's how the journey unfolded.
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Former WA Liberal Party leader David Honey loses preselection battle for Cottesloe to Sandra Brewer
By Rebecca Trigger, Cason Ho, and David Weber
The property council chief wins the preselection battle for the Liberal heartland seat of Cottesloe, defeating former WA Liberal Party leader David Honey.
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Factory fire that caused toxic smoke clouds may impact farmers ahead of seeding season, industry head warns
By Cason Ho
There are concerns a blaze which destroyed parts of an agricultural supplies warehouse may stretch fertiliser and chemical supplies thin for farmers across Western Australia ahead of the seeding season.
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'Housing delivery' concerns partly behind move to reject plan aimed at saving Perth's tree canopy
The WA government confirms it will reject a plan to protect mature trees put forward by two Perth councils, and instead develop its own urban greening strategy.
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Private mental health clinic's closure less than a year after it opened sparks plea for help
By Cason Ho
Amber-Jade Sanderson says private health insurers and the federal government need to help improve coverage for mental health care after a Perth clinic closed because it was not financially viable.
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People flock to the coast as another heatwave scorches Perth and parts of WA
As Perth and parts of Western Australia swelter through a second heatwave in as many weeks, data shows hot weather has left almost five times more people in hospital than bushfires in recent years.
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Energy giant Woodside backs away from $80 billion merger deal with Santos
By business reporter Rachel Pupazzoni and Cason Ho
The combined business would reportedly have had an LNG (liquefied natural gas) capacity of 16 million tonnes a year.
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Plan to save tree canopy in Australia's least leafy city poised to be cut down by planning minister
A council plan to protect Perth's trees will be rejected by WA Planning Minister John Carey despite overwhelming community support, the ABC understands.
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These Australian researchers think spider webs could be our 'secret weapon' to understanding nature
By Cason Ho
While spider webs could not trap an elephant, their ability to trap minuscule fragments of DNA could change how scientists learn about wildlife, according to new Australian research.
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As heatwave grips Perth, plan hatched to remove some livestock from stranded ship and re-export the rest
By Cason Ho and Rebecca Trigger
Some of the animals on board the controversy-plagued live export ship MV Bahijah will be offloaded in Western Australia and the rest sent back to the Middle East, under a plan put forward by the export company.
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WA braces for another severe heatwave in a summer the BOM says 'has been very kind to us' so far
By Herlyn Kaur and Cason Ho
Temperatures are set to soar across WA this week as the state plunges into another heatwave, and while we may feel like having a grumble, the weather bureau says it's just a "fairly average" summer in the west.
How does your smart watch or fitness tracker compare to a gold-standard physiology test?
By Cason Ho
Smart watches have boomed in popularity as wearable health and fitness trackers, with market data estimating almost 40 per cent of Australians own one. Experts weigh in on how accurate they are, and whether they can actually make us healthier.
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Teenagers charged with allegedly abducting three kids, abandoning them on remote beach at night
By Cason Ho
Police say the teenagers thought the kids were trying to break into their car, before allegedly abducting them, dropping them at a remote beach and leaving them there.
Heatwave storm that caused widespread power outages 'worse than Cyclone Seroja', as it happened
By Gian De Poloni and Cason Ho
WA's energy minister says a 'freak' storm that cut power to thousands is worse than 2021's destructive Cyclone Seroja.
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'Really eerie': Residents recount chaos that ensued after outback city was plunged into darkness
By Cason Ho, Emily JB Smith, Grace Burmas, and Emma Wynne
From trading biscuits for phone chargers to being forced to throw thousands of dollars worth of food and medical supplies, locals tell of the chaos widespread power outages have caused in regional WA.
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'Freak storm' blamed for massive power, water blackouts in WA with massive towers 'crumpled like tin foil'
By Greig Johnston, Emily JB Smith, David Weber, and Cason Ho
Power is starting to return to Kalgoorlie-Boulder after a summer storm toppled massive transmission towers, causing extended outages to the city's water, fuel, internet and phone services.
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Mental health expert says Perth man received 'suboptimal care' in the lead up to his death, inquest hears
By Cason Ho
An inquest looking into the death of 22-year-old Jaxon Kinnane hears an expert describe the mental health care he received prior to his death as "suboptimal".
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Renting a house in Perth has never been more expensive, as tenants report weekly increases of $250
By Cason Ho
The cost of renting a house in Perth increases for the ninth consecutive quarter, with one tenant looking for a new home after being told he and his housemates would have to pay an extra $250 a week.
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Around 1,000 workers to lose jobs as Alcoa moves to shut alumina refinery in Perth's south
By Claire Moodie and Cason Ho
Around 1,000 workers are set to lose their jobs as Alcoa announces it will phase down production at its alumina refinery in Perth's south.
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Aircraft 'enthusiast' dies in ultralight plane crash in WA's Wheatbelt
By Cason Ho
A man in his 60s has died in an ultralight plane crash in Beverley, in Western Australia's Wheatbelt.
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Nurses and midwives reluctantly accept WA government pay deal
By WA state political reporter Keane Bourke and Cason Ho
WA's nurses and midwives reluctantly conclude their long-running battle with the state government over pay and conditions, with union members voting to accept one of two offers put to them.
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