Brendon Grylls: WA government on track to lose March election

Brendon Grylls says Barnett government is headed for certain defeat next March unless it adopts major policy changes.

Brendon Grylls. Picture: Stewart Allen.

Brendon Grylls — the former West Australian Nationals leader pushing for a radical $3 billion annual mining tax on BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto — says the Barnett government is headed for certain defeat next March unless it adopts major policy changes.

The Pilbara MP made the comments as he entered a WA Nationals partyroom meeting in Perth this afternoon where he is expected to reclaim the leadership from Terry Redman.

If successful, Mr Grylls is expected to use his return to the job to agitate for the removal of Premier Colin Barnett and to push for a mining tax that would collect $3 billion a year from resources giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton.

There is speculation that Mr Grylls has already held talks with Liberal Party ministers and leadership aspirants Dean Nalder and Joe Francis about his plan, which would enable WA to slash its rising debt levels.

Mr Grylls said today he believed the government was on track to lose the election.

“I currently do not believe that the Liberal-National government is in a winnable position to succeed in the March 2017 state election,” he said.

“Because I do not believe we are in a winnable position, I believe we need new ideas and a new plan to win the hearts and minds of country people and all of Western Australia.”

Mr Grylls said his proposed $5 a tonne tax on BHP on iron ore giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton was a response to WA’s record debt and deficit.

“Western Australia’s finances are in a precarious state,” he said.

“I’m proposing a solution. Everyone in the Parliament, in the press pack commentating, (is) always very, very good at identifying the problem. No-one ever proposes a solution.

“I think a year ago I thought we could trade our way out of the problem we’re in. The last budget extrapolated that problem and it’s now much more serious.

“The GST share is not coming back in my opinion — I do not think the Grants Commission formula will allow that GST to come back. And therefore the state needs a plan”

Mr Grylls did not comment directly when asked if the Liberal-National alliance was at risk should be seize the leadership

He said Mr Barnett’s continued leadership was “a matter for the Liberals”

When asked whether he had held talks with Mr Nalder, he said he had spoken to many MPs as well as “major corporate players” in WA.

“I am very satisfied and comfortable that the plans I am going to put forward have been well sounded out across the full spectrum of people who think about these issues in Western Australia,” he said.

The latest Newspoll survey, published in The Australian in May, shows Labor ahead of the Liberal-National government by 54 per cent to 46 per cent in two-party preferred terms.

This represents a swing against the government of more than 11 per cent, which would allow Labor to claim the 10 seats it needs to take office in March.

Mr Barnett’s personal approval rating in Newspoll slumped to its lowest level since he came to power in 2008. Just 31 per cent of voters are satisfied with his performance, compared with 58 per cent who say they are dissatisfied.

The Newspoll shows Labor leader Mark McGowan had increased his margin as preferred premier, leading Mr Barnett by 46 per cent to 32 per cent.

Mr McGowan’s satisfaction rating was up from 47 per cent to 51 per cent, while only 28 per cent of voters said they were dissatisfied with his performance.