State Liberal MPs have met for the first time since their third election defeat in a row and selected incoming Churchlands MP Basil Zempilas as the new Opposition leader.
Libby Mettam, who stepped down from the leadership last week, will serve as Deputy Leader. The pair will lead a larger team of seven lower house members and ten upper house representatives.
The Liberals increased their Legislative Assembly numbers to three to seven, an improvement which Libbey Mettam described last week as putting them in “striking distance” of forming government in 2029.
Now the party is counting on the leadership and vision of Zempalis to put forward a proposal to voters that would allow them to pick up twenty three additional seats they’d need to convert for election victory.
Speaking to the media outside of parliament house this morning Zempilas said he would be seeking not to just rebuild the party but also reset their agenda.
“You don’t often get an opportunity for a fresh start and that’s what the WA Liberal Party have and that’s what today represents in many ways, and I’m really looking forward to getting in there and getting it all started,
“It’s more than a rebuild. I think it’s a total reset and that’s the opportunity that we’ve got.
“But that is a matter for me and all of our colleagues to come together and discuss.” he said.
Zempilas will be the party’s sixth leader in as many years following in the footsteps of Mettam, David Honey, Zak Kirkup, Liza Harvey and Mike Nahan.
In recent years Zempilas has made the move from radio and television presenter to politics, first serving a term and a half as Lord Mayor of Perth.
Speaking to 6PR, the station he used to be a presenter on, Zempilas said the first priority of the party was to hold the government to account.
He said there would be discussion with the National Party, who hold six seats, about how the party’s can work together in the next term of parliament, and he would also be working out which MPs will look after which portfolios.
Zempilas said he had given up all his additional role in media and will be fully focused on his political role.
“I have one employer now and that’s the people of Western Australia.” Zempilas said.
The new party leader also answered questions from listeners who asked if he’s opposed to standing in front of the Aboriginal flag, he said he’s always been proud to stand in front of it.
He denied the Liberal party was under the influence of conservative members dubbed ‘the clan’, and said he admired the monarchy and the system of government we have, but recognised that many people would like to see a change to a republic.
Health, housing, energy and government spending are the items that Zempilas said his team would be focused on when parliament returns.
The counting in the seat of Kalamunda gave the Liberal party their final and seventh seat in the Legislative Council. New member Adam Hort pulling over the line with just 82 votes in his favour. The additional seat means the Liberals return to be the recognised opposition party, a right held by The Nationals in the previous term of government.
Zempilas and his team now face a steep learning curve with parliament expected to resume in just a few weeks. When the speaker calls the house to order, Mettam will be the only member of the Liberal’s Legislative Assembly team with any parliamentary experience.
