Libby Mettam urged to take on David Honey for WA Liberal Party leadership

Libby Mettam is being urged to challenge David Honey for the leadership of the WA Liberal Party in a move being touted as necessary to save the party from extinction.

Informed Liberal sources told The Sunday Times Ms Mettam, the current Liberal deputy, would have the numbers to roll Mr Honey if she initiated a contest.

It has been suggested Ms Mettam would have the support of at least five of Liberal’s nine-person parliamentary team if she put her hand up for the leadership.

“It’s probably there for the taking, if she wants it,” one senior Liberal source said.

“But she needs to seek it (leadership) and ask for it.

“I would have thought she’d have five to six MPs who would vote for her.”

The WA Liberal Party was decimated at the 2021 State Election.

Only Ms Mettam in Vasse and Mr Honey in Cottesloe held on to their seats in the 59-person Legislative Assembly.

As a team we are all committed to supporting David Honey as the leader of the Liberal Party

It’s understood Ms Mettam sounded out her colleagues about being leader after the disastrous 2021 poll — which dumped then leader Zak Kirkup out of Parliament — but did not have the numbers to beat Mr Honey

There are now fears the party could suffer a repeat of the 2021 embarrassment in three years time unless there is new leadership of the party and the influence of powerbrokers is diminished.

Ms Mettam told The Sunday Times this week she had not been approached by her parliamentary colleagues about running for the leadership.

“I have not been approached by my colleagues and David is supported as leader of the Liberal Party,” Ms Mettam said.

Asked by The Sunday Times whether she would take on the leadership of the WA Liberal Party if her colleagues asked her to take on the role, Ms Mettam said: “As a team we are all committed to supporting David Honey as the leader of the Liberal Party and focused on holding the McGowan Government to account and the significant task ahead in the lead-up to the 2025 election.”

With a by-election in the National Party-held seat of North West Central due possibly in September, after the resignation of Vince Catania, it is unlikely there would be any change of Liberal Party leadership until at least later this year.

“Libby’s strategic advisers would be encouraging her to wait until after the North West by-election in order to have the clearest run to the State election,” another Liberal source said.

A Liberal source said winning the 2025 State election was not the main aim, given the size of Labor Premier Mark McGowan’s lead and continuing popularity.

The main aim was to win back once-safe Liberal seats lost in 2021.

“The measure of success for the next leader is to win back previous Liberal seats such as Bateman, Nedlands, Churchlands and South Perth,” a Liberal source said.