David Honey and Libby Mettam both expected to nominate to lead WA Liberal party after State election wipeout

The Liberal Party’s only two remaining Lower House MPs — David Honey and Libby Mettam — are both expected to nominate for the leadership as part of rebuilding from the ashes of a devastating election wipe-out. Liberal Sean L’Estrange is now more than 200 votes behind Labor challenger Christine Tonkin in Churchlands. ABC election analyst Antony Green last night called the seat for Labor. It would leave just Vasse MP Ms Mettam, the Liberal’s former deputy and current acting leader, and Cottesloe MP Mr Honey — who was shadow energy minister during the last term of government — eligible to head up the party. Ms Mettam yesterday said she was “giving thought” to putting her hand up for leader while Mr Honey would not confirm his intentions but is expected to also stand. Both said they would wait for the result in Churchlands to be confirmed — likely early next week — before officially declaring whether they would nominate. This is despite the ABC’s Antony Green last night declaring Liberal incumbent Sean L’Estrange was too far behind Labor’s Christine Tonkin to reclaim the seat. “I’m just waiting until we get our finalised results before considering (the leadership),” Mr Honey said. “Once we have clarity there it will be the appropriate time to call a partyroom meeting and I’ll make up my mind before then.” Asked whether he was gauging the support of his Upper House colleagues — the Liberals are on track for seven seats in the Legislative Council and it is those members who will pick the leader — Mr Honey said “I talk to lots of people all the time”. Ms Mettam is understood not to have hit the phones but is weighing up taking a prominent role in the renewal effort. She said regardless of who is elected leader the Liberals’ initial focus needed to be on “rebuilding the team from within the party as well as at a grassroots level”. “It is about focusing on what the Liberal Party represents and the philosophy of the Liberal Party that has made its membership base the biggest in WA,” she said. The Liberals — who have lost official party status — must also quickly establish how they will function alongside WA’s new official opposition the WA Nationals. “We are going to have to look at the mechanical details of Parliament itself, especially committees which are critically important,” Mr Honey said. “There are 17 committees and (on current counting) 15 Liberals and Nationals so we are going to have to work out how to share that workload.” Mr Honey said the two parties were yet to decide on whether they would form a coalition — which would simplify divvying up shadow portfolios — or a enter into an informal arrangement but said he expected to work closely with the Nationals regardless. Those discussions are not expected to occur until after the final makeup of Parliament has been determined.