The annual local musician round-ball football game has become a big thing and a firm favourite fixture as part of the WAM Festival.

Four teams of musical magicians will battle for ultimate glory – it’s the Game of Thrones of rock and roll.

Peter Barr was joined by a representative from each team:

CRABS FC – KRIS DIMITROFF

THE ABLE SEAMEN – MACE FRANCIS

MICTACEA – MATT ACORN

THE BLOOD ROCK LOBSTERS – JOHN RUSSO

No one has the time or inclination to keep an eye on it all except Shaun Micallef – and its making the television everyman mad as Hell.

And it is true – 42 have come our way this year.

Why they come isn’t hard to work out – they’re fleeing terrible situations we can scarcely imagine.

But it’s the processing of visa applications and where to accommodate the asylum seekers that’s still in a state of flux.

As of yesterday visa application for those arriving by boat will be treated no differently to those arriving by plane.
Changes also include the recent introduction of a Home Stay accommodation program for asylum seekers.

And on a more local level a 124 million dollar immigration detention centre has been built in Northam.

It will be able to accommodate 600 people. And they’re arriving soon

Northam Shire President Steven Pollard joined Bren McGurk on Morning Magazine.

They’re called ‘comedians’ and several of them are on the road telling their stories to riotous applause – and heading this way.

It’s the gang from the Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow and David Quirk is one of them…

Flying among it all are the Gulls – otherwise known as Amber Fresh and Matt Acorn – and they join me to review things.

It’s the Gulls Review Hour…

Professor Sundram was in Hobart as she spoke to Ben in depth.

University of Pennsylvania Assistant Professor Orkan Telhan deals with
influences transforming the modern perception of design and nature.

He’s in Perth to discuss his work relating to recent advances in biological science and engineering.

If you have an interest in art or design and more, let’s learn more with Orkan Telham.

It’s also a chance to explore the impact of women on the early days of the colonial town.

Notre Dame Associate Professor Deborah Gare will present two lectures on the role of remarkable women on Fremantle’s heritage and was with Ben on the Morning Magazine.

Some behind-the-scenes drama at the conclusion of last year’s community event almost saw it cancelled.

But that was then and this is now – and it will return for the third year running.

Around 80 000 people turned out for the festival last year, so we’re pretty keen to see what 2012 will produce.

The organisation of the festival has been handed over to JumpClimb Music Management and Events, and Aaron Rutter and Paul Fletcher joined Ben to discuss the changes.

It’s the WAM Song of the Year competition and the deadline will hit us faster than you’d think – so its time for an update.

WAM’s Alexey Cortain has the details…

It’s recommended Environment Minister Bill Marmion back Toro Energy’s project to construct the mine in Wiluna in the Mid West.

Marmion and his federal counterpart Tony Burke will meet to determine whether the mine will go ahead…

Before that, Director of the WA Conservation Council Piers Verstegen joined Stacy Gougoulis.

Now, the State Government will establish a pilot Mental Health Court here – but the Greens say it will need to be expanded.

Greens spokesperson for Mental Health, Alison Xamon has been fighting for the creation of a court for a long time, so she’s happy with this State Budget announcement.

But, she says if the pilot is found to be successful, the Government will need to reverse laws such as mandatory sentencing.

Alison Xamon joined Stacy Gougoulis on Morning Magazine.

The awards recognise outstanding achievements of members of the diverse sexuality and gender community in WA.

And RTRFM’s done well for itself.

Our local gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer and questioning community program All Things Queer was named- Best Community Group.

Pride WA Male Co-President, All Things Queer coordinator and Breakfast News Reader Paul van Leishout was recognized for his
contribution over the last year.

And he was in the studio…

Local band End of Fashion kicked their career off around 2004 as a Sleepy Jackson side project.

As an entity in its own right, the band released two albums on major label EMI then went quiet.

Front man Justin Burford remained busy as a different kind of performer while creating a new, independently produced and released album.

Justin joins Peter Barr on Breakfast with Barr.

One slice of the pie has been met favourably as it aims to support affordable housing and homelessness.

130 million dollars has been allocated to fund the construction of 433 homes, to house vulnerable families and individuals.

Not-for-profit organisations involved in programs addressing homelessness will also receive an additional $8.3 million in funding.

Community Housing Coalition of WA Executive Officer Barry Doyle joined Rhian Todhunter to discuss the investment.

National Disability Service WA has hailed the State Budget’s commitment to establish the State’s first ‘declared place’ as a social justice milestone.

The group says this will house people with intellectual or cognitive disability charged with a crime but unable to plead and have not been convicted of a crime.

National Disability Service WA State Manager Terry Simpson joined Rhian Todhunter on Morning Magazine.

A space that, politically speaking, has changed considerably since the French National Assembly of 1789 was established to differentiate oppositional categories of thought and policy.

Basically it was just places for people who disagreed with each other to sit.

On Morning Magazine we like to explore the political spectrum and the permutations it presents in a contemporary context – we call the conversation ‘Pondering the political’.

This week we ponder the The Influence of Economics on Politics.

Our political pundits are the Left’s Luke Walladge and the Right’s Alex Butterworth.

It will include a state-of-the art building that will integrate with the Museum’s current heritage buildings.

And the plan is for it to tell Western Australian stories with exhibitions and programs focusing on Being Western Australian.

To see if we can get a good picture of how it will look, function, and what it will add to Perth’s cultural scene Rhian Todhunter was joined by WA Museum CEO Alec Coles on Morning Magazine.

Australian Guitar Magazine has named the top 50 greatest guitar players in Australian history – and a gurning schoolboy has taken it out.

Music Journalist Andrew P Street joined Peter Barr on Breakfast.