Zempilas the only choice for WA Liberals to rejoin the fight

After three crushing election defeats and seven leaders in eight years, the WA Liberals need to throw a haymaker.

Enter Basil Zempilas.

Basil Zempilas and Libby Mettam.Credit: Ross Swanborough

But the thing about haymakers is they can miss spectacularly.

The former Lord Mayor and Channel 7 sports presenter has a lot going for him as leader of the Liberals but there are just as many unknowns.

He is the only viable choice this time around, but in circumstances where there might be two dozen people to choose a new Liberal leader from, he would be a controversial pick.

Labor knows how divisive he is. They know for every person who likes him there is another who thinks he is toxic.

His election result is a testament to that – of all the seats expected to be romped back home by the Liberal party Churchlands should have been number one.

Instead, he secured just a 0.5 per cent increase in the Liberal primary vote – one of the worst in the state.

The presence of a teal-style independent took 14 per cent of what could have been his primary vote leaving him with a 0.7 per cent margin – the most marginal of any seat in the state behind Kalamunda which is still being counted.

Hardly a resounding endorsement of someone who wants to be the leader of the state.

Outgoing leader Libby Mettam puts this down to the Labor smear campaign which featured his face in every negative ad they ran.

This is a moot point. Elections are full of smear campaigns, and you can bet that Labor will run another one next time round if their extensive research tells them the same thing.

Elevating Zempilas, a first-time parliamentarian, to leadership leaves the Liberals exposed.

Being a good opposition leader isn’t just about mouthing off, there are the deep weeds of bureaucracy and standing orders that he will need to wade through. Mastering these can take a lifetime in parliament and buggering it up can make you look stupid.

All that considered, Zempilas is the only reasonable choice for the Liberal party and if he navigates the next four years deftly, there is an avenue for him to become the state’s next premier.

He has proven an effective leader as Perth Lord Mayor and has advocated strongly for the interests of Perth ratepayers against the WA government.

These skills are easily transferrable to parliament.

The elephant in the room is his connection to Seven West Media which has an outsized influence on politics in this state.

He is also a good communicator and is adaptable in tricky situations – something that Mettam struggled with over the campaign.

Ultimately, an injection of fresh blood into the Liberals’ leadership can only be a good thing.

The party has been wallowing at rock bottom for too long.

Time to start throwing some punches.

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