Libby Mettam has announced she will step down as leader of the Western Australian Liberal Party following its poor election performance, paving the way for former broadcaster and Perth lord mayor Basil Zempilas to take the role.
Mettam attributed the party’s heavy defeat—expected to leave them with just six to eight seats—to internal destabilisation.
“While I take responsibility for our result, it is very clear that the constant and ongoing leadership speculation and destabilisation in late 2024 was a significant contributing factor to our outcome,” she said.
Zempilas, who narrowly won the seat of Churchlands, confirmed his intention to run for leader, saying, “Yes, I will put my name forward. I don’t take anything for granted, I make no assumptions.”
He blamed his narrow victory margin on “a well-funded Labor smear campaign.”
Mettam stated she would seek the deputy leadership instead: “While I would have liked and hoped to continue as leader, it has become clear that I do not have that support of my colleagues to continue as leader through to the election in 2029.”
Zempilas welcomed her bid for deputy, saying, “We’re all on a steep learning curve … everything about this journey is challenging. It’s a big task ahead of us.”
Liberal insiders believe Zempilas is well-positioned for the leadership role when the party meets next week. However, polling suggests his net favourability is negative across all age groups, high-income households, and university-educated voters.
WA Labor is set to win at least 44 of the 59 lower house seats, reinforcing its dominance in the state.
Source: ABC News
