2020 Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division) leadership election

Last updated

2020 Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division) leadership election
Flag of Western Australia.svg
24 November 20202021 →
Leadership election
 
Nominee Zak Kirkup
Caucus voteUnopposed
Percentage100%
Seat Dawesville
Leader before election

Liza Harvey

Elected Leader

Zak Kirkup

Deputy leadership election
 
Nominee Libby Mettam
Caucus voteUnopposed
Percentage100%
Seat Vasse
Deputy Leader before election

Bill Marmion

Elected Deputy Leader

Libby Mettam

The Western Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia held a leadership vote on 24 November 2020 to determine its leader. The election was conducted among Liberal Party members of the Parliament of Western Australia. It came after its previous leader, Liza Harvey, resigned following poor opinion polling. Deputy leader Bill Marmion also resigned on the same day. The main candidates touted ahead of the election were Dean Nalder, a member of parliament since 2013 and a minister in the Barnett Ministry, and Zak Kirkup, a member of parliament since 2017. Nalder declined to nominate for the leadership after it became clear he did not have the full support of the Liberal Party caucus. As a result, Kirkup won the leadership unopposed, becoming the state's leader of the opposition. Libby Mettam was elected unopposed as the deputy leader.

Contents

Background

The Liberal Party, led by Colin Barnett, lost the 2017 Western Australian state election in a landslide victory by Labor. From Barnett's resignation on 21 March 2017 to the 2020 leadership vote, the party has had two leaders: Mike Nahan, who resigned in June 2019, and Liza Harvey. [1] [2] [3]

In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Harvey called for Premier Mark McGowan to relax Western Australia's border restrictions with the rest of the country. At that point, Western Australia was almost virus free with only a few restrictions in place, one of which was the strict border controls. [4] She proposed that Western Australia first open up to South Australia and the Northern Territory, which McGowan said would be unconstitutional as it would be discriminating between states/territories. [5] Harvey's comments were heavily criticised, and a poll published by The West Australian showed that nine in ten Western Australians supported the government border. [6]

On 11 June, The West Australian published an opinion poll by Painted Dog Research which gave Harvey's approval rating as 19% and disapproval rating as 37%, compared to Premier McGowan's approval rating of 87%. [7] On 8 September, The West Australian published an opinion poll by Painted Dog Research which gave Harvey's approval rating at 10%, behind Premier McGowan's approval rating of 91%. [8] Utting Research released an opinion poll on 1 October which gave Harvey's previously safe seat of Scarborough a two-party-preferred vote of 66–34 in favour of the Labor Party. [9]

Leadership vote

On 22 November 2020, Harvey announced her resignation as leader of the Liberal Party and leader of the opposition. Dean Nalder and Zak Kirkup both stated their intention to nominate for the party's leadership. David Honey stated he would not nominate himself. Deputy leader Bill Marmion also resigned that day. A special partyroom meeting was called for 24 November for the voting to happen. [10] [11] [12] [13]

Nalder was a 54-year old MP who had been in the Legislative Assembly since 2013, first for the seat of Alfred Cove and later for the seat of Bateman. He had been the minister for transport, minister for finance and minister for agriculture and food in the Barnett Government. [14] [15] Kirkup was a 33-year MP who had been in the Legislative Assembly since 2017, representing the marginal seat of Dawesville, which he won in 2017 by a margin of 0.9%. [13] [14] [15]

Ahead of the vote, Kirkup was favoured as he had the support of key powerbrokers Peter Collier and Nick Goiran, who helped him gain at least 12 votes. [16] [17] Nalder held support from the business community. [17] The West Australian newspaper reported on 24 November that Kirkup had the support of Harvey, Marmion, Collier, Steve Thomas, Libby Mettam, Goiran, Peter Katsambanis, Jim Chown, Tony Krsticevic, Tjorn Sibma and Michael Mischin; Nalder had the support of Kyran O'Donnell, John McGrath, Sean L'Estrange, Simon O'Brien, Nahan, Honey and Ken Baston; and Alyssa Hayden and Donna Faragher were undecided. [16]

At 9:00 am on 24 November, Nalder withdrew his nomination after it became apparent that he would not win. Kirkup won the leadership later that day unopposed. Mettam won the deputy leadership unopposed as well. At 33 years of age, Kirkup became the youngest person to lead the Liberal Party in Western Australia, and the second youngest person to ever be the leader of the opposition in Western Australia. [18] [19] [20]

Aftermath

On 1 December 2020, Nalder announced he would retire and not contest the 2021 state election. In his statement, he criticised the factional forces within the Liberal Party, who backed Kirkup over himself. He said that he could never become leader in the future as he did not have the backing of Collier and Goiran. [21] [22] Days later, he quit his shadow cabinet roles, including shadow treasurer. [23] [24] It was revealed in August 2021 that Collier and Goiran were using a group called "The Clan" to influence the election. [25]

At the 2021 state election on 13 March, the Liberal Party was left with just two seats in the Legislative Assembly. Kirkup's seat of Dawesville, Nalder's seat of Bateman, and Harvey's seat of Scarborough were won by the Labor Party. [26] A leadership vote occurred after that election to determine who should succeed Kirkup as leader, which Honey won. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Barnett</span> Former Western Australian politician

Colin James Barnett is a former Australian politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other portfolios in Western Australia's Court–Cowan Ministry.

Peter Charles Collier is an Australian politician who has been a Liberal Party member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia since 2005, representing North Metropolitan Region. He served as a minister in the government of Colin Barnett from 2008 until its defeat at the 2017 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark McGowan</span> 30th Premier of Western Australia

Mark McGowan is an Australian politician and naval officer who was the 30th premier of Western Australia from March 2017 to June 2023. He was the leader of the Western Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 2012 to 2023 and a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the district of Rockingham from 1996 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Hames</span> Australian politician

Kim Desmond Hames is an Australian politician who was a Liberal Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1993 to 2001 and from 2005 to 2017. He served as a minister in the governments of Richard Court and Colin Barnett, and was deputy premier to Barnett from 2008 to 2016. Hames retired from parliament at the 2017 state election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Nahan</span> Australian politician

Michael Dennis Nahan is a former Australian politician who was Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia's Western Australian branch and Leader of the Opposition from the 2017 state election until his resignation in June 2019. He served as Treasurer of Western Australia under the Barnett Ministry from March 2014 until the government's fall in March 2017. Nahan was also the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Riverton from 2008 until 2021, when he was succeeded by Labor's Jags Krishnan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mia Davies</span> Australian politician

Mia Jane Davies is an Australian politician who was the Leader of the Opposition and leader of the National Party in Western Australia from March 2021 to January 2023. She has been a member of the state Legislative Assembly since 2013, having previously served in the Legislative Council from 2009 to 2013. Davies was elected deputy leader of the Nationals in November 2013, and replaced Brendon Grylls as leader in March 2017 following his defeat at the 2017 state election. As a result of the Liberal Party's electoral wipeout at the 2021 state election, she became leader of the opposition after Premier Mark McGowan gave her party the official opposition party funding, the first member of her party to hold the role since Arthur Watts in 1947. She resigned as leader of the opposition and leader of her party in January 2023, and said she would not recontest her seat at the 2025 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Goiran</span> Australian politician

Nicolas Pierre Goiran is an Australian politician who has been a member for the South Metropolitan Region of the Western Australian Legislative Council (MLC), the upper house of the Parliament of Western Australia, since 22 May 2009. A member of the Liberal Party, Australia's major right-wing political party, Goiran is a conservative Christian. He is pro-life, and opposes same-sex marriage, euthanasia and surrogacy. He has been outspoken on the issue of elder abuse, and he supports COVID-19 vaccinations but opposes vaccine mandates. Goiran has twice been accused of filibustering: he spoke for over 22 hours in total over a surrogacy bill in 2019, delaying it; and he proposed 357 amendments to a voluntary assisted dying bill and spoke on every clause of the bill.

Liza Mary Harvey is an Australian politician who was the Liberal Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 2008 to 2021, representing the seat of Scarborough. She was a minister in the government of Colin Barnett, and in 2016 was appointed deputy premier, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She became leader of the opposition after being elected unopposed to replace Mike Nahan as state Liberal leader on 13 June 2019. On 22 November 2020, she resigned as Liberal leader and was replaced by Zak Kirkup. She lost her seat at the 2021 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Western Australian state election</span> State general election for Western Australia

The 2017 Western Australian state election was held on Saturday 11 March 2017 to elect members to the Parliament of Western Australia, including all 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly and all 36 seats in the Legislative Council. The eight-and-a-half-year two-term incumbent Liberal–WA National government, led by Premier Colin Barnett, was defeated in a landslide by the Labor opposition, led by Opposition Leader Mark McGowan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Nalder</span> Australian politician (born 1966)

Dean Cambell Nalder is an Australian former politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia for the Liberal Party from 2013 to 2021, representing the seat of Alfred Cove until 2017, and Bateman following the 2017 electoral boundary re-distribution. At various times, he served as Minister for Transport, Minister for Finance and Minister for Agriculture and Food in the ministry of Premier Colin Barnett from 2014 to 2016. Following the Liberals' defeat at the 2017 state election, Nalder served in a number of shadow portfolios in the shadow ministries of Mike Nahan and Liza Harvey until resigning from the frontbench on 8 December 2020, following his announcement of retirement from politics at the next election. He was succeeded in his seat of Bateman by Labor's Kim Giddens on 13 March 2021.

Elizabeth Mettam is an Australian politician. She has been the Liberal member for Vasse in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since a by-election on 18 October 2014. She has been the leader of the Western Australian Liberal Party since January 2023 and was the deputy leader of the party from December 2020 to January 2023. At the 2021 state election, she was one of only two Liberal MLAs to retain their seat, the other being David Honey.

Zak Richard Francis Kirkup is an Australian former politician. He was a member of the Western Australian Liberal Party, and served as a member for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of Dawesville from 2017 to 2021.

Matthew Hughes is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since the 2017 state election, representing Kalamunda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Western Australian state election</span> State general election for Western Australia, held on 13 March 2021

The 2021 Western Australian state election was conducted on Saturday 13 March 2021 to elect members to the Parliament of Western Australia, where all 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly and all 36 seats in the Legislative Council were up for election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Australian Liberal Party</span> Political party in Western Australia

The Western Australian Liberal Party, officially known as the Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division), is the division of the Liberal Party of Australia in Western Australia. Founded in March 1949 as the Liberal and Country League of Western Australia (LCL), it simplified its name to the Liberal Party in 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jags Krishnan</span> Australian politician

Jagadish "Jags" Krishnan is an Indian-born Australian politician and general practitioner. He was elected as a Labor member for Riverton in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly at the 2021 state election.

The 2025 Western Australian state election is scheduled to be held on 8 March 2025 to elect members to the Parliament of Western Australia, where all 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly and all 37 seats in the Legislative Council will be up for election.

The Opposition in the Australian state of Western Australia comprises the largest party or coalition of parties not in Government. The Opposition's purpose is to hold the Government to account and constitute a "Government-in-waiting" should the existing Government fall. To that end, a Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Ministers for the various government departments question the Premier and Ministers on Government policy and administration, and formulate the policy the Opposition would pursue in Government. It is sometimes styled "His Majesty's Loyal Opposition" to demonstrate that although it opposes the Government, it remains loyal to the King.

The Clan is a group within the Western Australian division of the Liberal Party. The Clan used WhatsApp between 2016 and 2021 to discuss branch stacking, among other things. The group was revealed in 2021. Prominent members included former senator for Western Australia Mathias Cormann and Legislative Councillors Peter Collier and Nick Goiran.

The Western Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia had a leadership spill on 30 January 2023. Libby Mettam defeated David Honey to become the leader of the Liberal Party in Western Australia.

References

  1. ↑ Kagi, Jacob (21 March 2017). "WA Liberal leadership: Mike Nahan says party learned lessons of election decimation". ABC News. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  2. ↑ Shine, Rhiannon; Kagi, Jacob (12 June 2019). "Mike Nahan quits as WA Opposition Leader two years after landslide Liberal election loss". ABC News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  3. ↑ Gubana, Benjamin; Shine, Rhiannon; O'Flaherty, Alisha (13 June 2019). "Liza Harvey becomes WA Opposition Leader after Mike Nahan quits as head of WA Liberals". ABC News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  4. ↑ Carmody, James (20 May 2020). "Row over coronavirus border closures escalates as WA Premier hits back at NSW with Ruby Princess jibe". ABC News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  5. ↑ Laschon, Eliza (1 June 2020). "WA relaunches tourism campaign amid coronavirus pandemic, but hard border to stay". ABC News. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  6. ↑ Kagi, Jacob (2 June 2020). "Coronavirus WA border closure calls from Liza Harvey leave Liberals bewildered and confused". ABC News. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "Harvey stuck on 19 percent as McGowan is flying high". The West Australian. 11 June 2020. pp. 1, 4.
  8. ↑ Law, Peter (8 September 2020). "Liza Close to Rock Bottom". The West Australian. pp. 1, 6.
  9. ↑ Zimmerman, Josh (1 October 2020). "WA Liberal Party leader Liza Harvey risks losing Scarborough seat as new polling reveals McGowan voter love" . The West Australian. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  10. ↑ Kagi, Jacob; Weber, David (22 November 2020). "WA Opposition Leader Liza Harvey announces decision to step aside, citing Liberal Party election strategy". ABC News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  11. ↑ Ramsey, Michael (22 November 2020). "WA opposition leader Liza Harvey resigns". Mandurah Mail. Australian Associated Press. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  12. ↑ Cowan, Sean; Murray, Jordan (22 November 2020). "Harvey quits as opposition leader". Business News. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  13. 1 2 Law, Peter (23 November 2020). "Can a new leader get Libs Zak on track?". The West Australian. pp. 8–9.
  14. 1 2 Hondros, Nathan (23 November 2020). "Kirkup in box seat as leadership battle heats up ahead of party room meeting". WAtoday. Archived from the original on 9 December 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  15. 1 2 Mckenzie, Matt (23 November 2020). "Nalder, Kirkup head to head". Business News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  16. 1 2 Zimmerman, Josh (24 November 2020). "Guess Who's Got Votes". The West Australian. pp. 1, 6–7.
  17. 1 2 "Zak Kirkup poised to become WA Liberals first Indigenous leader". National Indigenous Times. 24 November 2020. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  18. ↑ Hondros, Nathan; de Kruijff, Peter (24 November 2020). "'A game for fighters': Zak Kirkup is new WA Liberals leader". WAtoday. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  19. ↑ Raphael, Angie (24 November 2020). "First-term MP becomes new WA Liberal Party leader months before state election". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  20. ↑ Blom, Amy (27 November 2020). "Meet the new leader of the WA Opposition". CGM Communications. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  21. ↑ Hastie, Hamish (1 December 2020). "'It's not in my nature to play games': Dean Nalder quits politics". WAtoday. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  22. ↑ Kagi, Jacob (2 December 2020). "Dean Nalder, former Barnett government minister, to quit politics ahead of WA election". ABC News. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  23. ↑ Rimrod, Fran; Hastie, Hamish (5 December 2020). "Dean Nalder quits shadow treasury just days after announcing retirement". WAtoday. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  24. ↑ Law, Peter (7 December 2020). "Sean L'Estrange named as Dean Nalder's replacement as shadow treasurer in Zak Kirkup's new Liberal frontbench". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  25. ↑ Zimmerman, Josh; Law, Peter (20 August 2021). "Leaked WhatsApp texts between WA Liberals group 'The Clan' expose Mathias Cormann, Peter Collier, Nick Goiran" . The West Australian. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  26. ↑ "Western Australia Election 2021 Results". ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  27. ↑ Raphael, Angie (23 March 2021). "David Honey appointed new WA Liberals leader after party's state election wipe-out". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.