National Party leader David Littleproud has left the door open to WA political veteran Mia Davies

National Party leader David Littleproud has left the door open to WA political veteran Mia Davies becoming deputy prime minister if the Coalition wins the election.

David Littleproud speaks at a rally with Mia Davies. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

National Party leader David Littleproud has left the door open to WA political veteran Mia Davies becoming deputy prime minister if the Coalition wins the election.

Ms Davies – who has the backing of billionaire Gina Rinehart in her tilt at Canberra – declared on Wednesday that she had set her sights on becoming deputy PM, a position held by the leader of the Nationals under Coalition rule.

“I am ready for the seat next to the prime minister, and I know getting that job and keeping that job comes with some pretty good politics. It’s not for the faint hearted, and it’s not something that everyone wants, or gets to do,” Ms Davies told a room full of business and community leaders in Perth on Wednesday.

Ms Davies is the National Party candidate for the new federal seat of Bullwinkel in WA and seeking to seeking to make the transition to Canberra after 17 years in WA parliament.

Her bold claim to the position of deputy PM is based on winning the hotly contested seat ahead of Labor’s Tish Cook and Liberal candidate Matt Moran, the Coalition winning government and then replacing Mr Littleproud as National Party leader.

Mia Davies is the National Party candidate for the new federal seat of Bullwinkel in WA. Picture: Philip Gostelow/The Australian

Sceptics suggested Ms Davies was trying to raise her profile with the help of Mr Littleproud and other party MPs with the Nationals facing uphill battle to win Bullwinkel.

In response to questions about her ambitions and the position of National Party leader, Ms Davies said: “Should David Littleproud be nervous? I spoke to David yesterday, and he knows what I’ve said today. He was very keen for me to be in the party room.

“I’m not going to take up space and be a back seat warmer. I’ve set the intention, and I’ve had that conversation with David and his response to me was ‘I’d expect nothing less from WA National Party member’.”

Mrs Rinehart is hosting a $3000-a-head fundraising dinner for Ms Davies in Perth next week and a similar event in support of WA Liberal Party leader Libby Mettam ahead of a state poll due in March.

Mr Littleproud said he had encouraged Ms Davies to stand for Bullwinkel because the Coalition, and WA, needed someone in Canberra with influence.

“My legacy as Nationals leader won’t be determined by just how long I stayed in the job but by the number of new leaders I brought into the party room to make our party stronger, and Mia will definitely add to that,” he said.

National MP Keith Pitt said Ms Davies was a highly capable politician, but stage 1 was always to win your seat.

On the party’s leadership, Mr Pitt joked that Nationals MPs tended to vote for themselves.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said Ms Davies had a “fearless approach to politics”.

“Mia is an outstanding candidate with unlimited potential, proven capacity and a wealth of experience,” she said.

Ms Davies took a thinly veiled swipe at resource minister Madeleine King and federal Liberal MPs in suggesting resources-rich WA had lost political influence in Canberra on both sides of politics.

“The reality is we don’t have someone in the PM’s inner circle right now who is consistently pushing for WA’s interests with the clout to get the outcomes we want. We have voices in parliament, but do we have a kind of political influence that guarantees outcomes for our state?” she said.