Party survival at stake, say WA Liberal elders

Senior Liberal Party figures have said the survival of the party in WA is at stake if the upcoming review of the state election result does not lead to real changes.

Former WA Liberal Party president Norman Moore.

A roll call of senior Liberal Party figures has said the survival of the party in Western Australia is at stake if the upcoming review of the state election result does not lead to real changes.

The letter, signed by Liberal elders including six past party presidents, points to growing fears within the membership that the poll wipe-out will be written off as the product of COVID-19 and the popularity of Premier Mark McGowan and will not be a catalyst for a wholesale overhaul of the party and its structure.

The letter said it was problems in the party that led to the “appalling” election outcome; if not addressed, those problems could “lead to the demise” of the party in WA. “There cannot be a ‘business as usual’ approach. Harsh realities must not be glossed over,” the letter said. “The survival and regeneration of the Liberal Party are not inevitable and are critical to maintain the democratic process in WA.”

The letter, whose signatories include past presidents Norman Moore, David Johnston, Kim Keogh, Danielle Blaine, Bill Hassell and Geoff Prosser, will add to the pressure on party president Fay Duda and state director Sam Calabrese and sets the stage for an intense meeting of the party’s state council this weekend as it prepares to name who will lead the election review.

The Australian revealed this week that federal senator Dean Smith had written to Ms Duda expressing his willingness to lead the review, saying it and its recommendations should be the first step in the party’s rebuild.

Former federal MP Michael Keenan is understood to have also put his name forward, although there are concerns among some party members that he is too close to some senior members of the administration.

The WA Liberals recorded their worst election result this month, winning two of 59 lower house seats and being replaced by the Nationals as the official opposition party.

There have been widespread calls from party elders for an overhaul of the party’s preselection processes, amid fears purported powerbrokers Nick Goiran and Peter Collier hold too much influence.

The latest letter calls for the review to examine both the election result and the party itself “without fear or favour”, and to make recommendations “which the party will be challenged to ­implement”.