2023 Western Australian Liberal Party leadership spill
30 January 2023
 
LIB
Nominee Libby Mettam
Caucus vote Unopposed
Percentage 100%
Seat Vasse
Leader before election

David Honey

 Elected Leader

Libby Mettam

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.

Background

The March 2021 Western Australian state election saw the Liberal Party win just two seats in the lower house and seven seats in the upper house, a record loss. In the aftermath of the election, David Honey was elected leader of the party and Libby Mettam, the only other lower house Liberal member, was elected deputy leader. As the Liberal Party had less lower house seats than the National Party, Honey did not become the leader of the opposition, but the two parties did form an alliance, whereby Liberal MPs would be part of the shadow cabinet.

Over the two years following the 2021 election, it became viewed as increasingly likely that Honey would be replaced as leader by Mettam.[1][2][3] According to an anonymous Liberal MP, the party had been discussing making Mettam the leader for the entire duration of Honey's leadership.[4] An opinion poll by Painted Dog Research and published in The West Australian in October 2022 showed that nine percent of respondents were satisfied with Honey's performance, 31 percent were dissatisfied, and 60 percent did not know.[1][5] Another poll by Painted Dog Research done on 5 January 2023 showed that ten percent of respondents believed that Honey was the right person to lead the Liberal Party, 29 percent of respondents believed that Mettam was the right person to lead the party, and 55 percent of respondents did not know.[6] Mettam had gained a higher profile than Honey through her position as shadow minister for health, in which she was outspoken on weaknesses in the state's health system.[3][6]

Leadership spill

On Friday, 27 January 2023, Mettam revealed her intention to challenge Honey for the leadership at a special partyroom meeting the following week. The move came the same day that Nationals leader Mia Davies announced her resignation from the position.[4][7][8] The meeting occurred on 30 January. Honey initially said that he would contest the leadership spill,[9][10] but pulled out on the morning of the partyroom meeting, allowing Mettam to be voted in unopposed. Upper house MP Steve Thomas was elected deputy Liberal leader.[11][12][13]

According to ABC News and The West Australian, Honey was supported only by Nick Goiran and Neil Thomson, with Peter Collier, Donna Faragher, Steve Martin, Tjorn Sibma, and Thomas supporting Mettam,[8][14] although Sibma[15] and Thomas were the only people to publicly declare where their support lay.[12]

Aftermath

Upon being voted in as leader, Mettam said she would "draw a line in the sand" against the Clan, a controversial group of powerbrokers within the party including Peter Collier and Goiran.[16][17] She removed Goiran from the shadow cabinet soon after becoming leader,[18][19] but allowed Collier to stay as he had apologised for language used in the Clan.[20] She also tried to removed Goiran as the Liberal Party parliamentary secretary but a majority of Liberal MPs voted against that motion.[17][21] Three days later, Goiran resigned as the parliamentary secretary.[22][23]

Although some thought that Honey would resign from parliament if defeated in a leadership spill, he said that he would continue on in parliament.[10]

The first opinion poll following the leadership spill, a Painted Dog Research poll done in March 2023, showed that Mettam's approval rating was 24 percent and disapproval at 18 percent.[24]

References

  1. 1 2 Bourke, Keane (29 October 2022). "Is David Honey the right person to lead the WA Liberals to the next election?". ABC News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  2. ↑ Spagnolo, Joe (11 June 2022). "Liberals target cricket great Justin Langer to lead Party out of political wilderness". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 Bourke, Keane (29 January 2023). "West Australian opposition in turmoil as Nationals leader quits, Liberal leadership challenge underway — where to from here?". ABC News. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  4. 1 2 Hastie, Hamish; Genovese, Michael (27 January 2023). "Libby Mettam confirms Liberal Party leadership tilt". WAtoday. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  5. ↑ Law, Peter (26 October 2022). "WA Liberal Party leader David Honey's approval rating at a humiliating low, new Painted Dog Research reveals". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  6. 1 2 Zimmerman, Josh (11 January 2023). "People's Voice Survey: Who the public prefers out of Libby Mettam and David Honey to lead WA Liberal Party". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  7. ↑ Zimmerman, Josh (27 January 2023). "Libby Mettam challenges David Honey for leadership of WA Liberal Party". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  8. 1 2 Carmody, James (27 January 2023). "Libby Mettam set to challenge David Honey for leadership of Western Australia's Liberal Party". ABC News. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  9. ↑ "Libby Mettam says she has the numbers to lead Western Australia's Liberal Party". ABC News. 28 January 2023. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  10. 1 2 Burton, Jesinta (28 January 2023). "Leadership spill heats up as Honey vows to fight for top job". WAtoday. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  11. ↑ Genovese, Michael; Hastie, Hamish (30 January 2023). "Shane Love elected opposition leader as Libby Mettam chosen to lead WA Liberals". WAtoday. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  12. 1 2 Perpitch, Nicolas; Bourke, Keane; Burmas, Grace (30 January 2023). "Shane Love is WA's new opposition leader, as Libby Mettam takes over Liberal party leadership". ABC News. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  13. ↑ Zimmerman, Josh; Le May, Rebecca (30 January 2023). "Libby Mettam officially takes over WA Liberal party after David Honey pulls out of leadership race". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Le May, Rebecca; Zimmerman, Josh (29 January 2023). "Liberal leadership challenge: Roger Cook urges Mettam to smash The Clan's iron grip if she wins". The West Australian. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  15. ↑ Spagnolo, Joe (29 January 2023). "Liberal leadership challenge: MP Tjorn Sibma breaks ranks to declare where his vote will go". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  16. ↑ Zimmerman, Josh (30 January 2023). "Libby Mettam reveals intentions to strip conservative powerbroker Nick Goiran of all shadow portfolios". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  17. 1 2 Perpitch, Nicolas (30 January 2023). "New WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam moves to quash influence of factional powerbrokers". ABC News. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  18. ↑ Hastie, Hamish (31 January 2023). "Goiran may have saved his jobs if he apologised for role in 'The Clan'". WAtoday. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  19. ↑ Spagnolo, Joe (4 February 2023). "Nick Goiran: Saying sorry to WA Liberal Party not part of plan". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  20. ↑ Zimmerman, Josh (30 January 2023). "The Clan: Liberal MP Peter Collier apologises over Whatsapp message scandal". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  21. ↑ Genovese, Michael; Hastie, Hamish (30 January 2023). "New WA Liberal leader to strip 'The Clan' member Goiran of shadow ministries". WAtoday. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  22. ↑ Bourke, Keane; Carmody, James (2 February 2023). "New WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam succeeds in removing Nick Goiran as he relinquishes role". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  23. ↑ Zimmerman, Josh (2 February 2023). "New Liberal leader Libby Mettam refuses to discuss Nick Goiran's party future after voluntarily standing down". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  24. ↑ Zimmerman, Josh (12 March 2023). "Mark McGowan's approval rating sinks to lowest level since start of COVID-19 pandemic". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
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