Comforting explanations that framed previous defeats no longer hold water.
Comforting explanations that framed previous defeats no longer hold water.
Opinion
March 10, 2025 — 4.16am
This is the third consecutive, devastating electoral defeat for the WA Liberal Party. It exposes an uncomfortable truth we have yet to fully accept: voters doubt our readiness and commitment to handle the responsibilities of government.
Comforting explanations that framed previous defeats no longer hold water. The 2017 loss was rationalised as voter fatigue after nine years of the Barnett government. In 2021, our loss was “inevitable” given the overwhelming popularity of Mark McGowan following COVID-19. But in 2025, despite running a professional campaign with precise voter targeting, comprehensive social media outreach, and fielding an unprecedented number of candidates, voters again decisively rejected our party.
At the heart of our defeats lies a straightforward truth: we haven’t offered voters a convincing reason to vote Liberal.
Months ago, we had clear warnings. Polling from December indicated the party was headed for disaster, predicting we would win only a handful of seats. Instead of treating these warnings seriously and reflecting deeply, sitting MPs dismissed them as sabotage from “cowards in the shadows”.
On Saturday, voters confirmed exactly what the polling had warned months ago.
This is not an indictment of Libby Mettam. She campaigned energetically, honourably, and with integrity.
The harsh reality is that, like her predecessors Mike Nahan, Liza Harvey, Zak Kirkup, and David Honey, she fell victim to a persistent lack of strategic planning, substantive policy development, and effective communication over the previous four years.
Our continued blindness to the fact that voters are rejecting our message, rather than our leaders, has proven disastrous. It has cost talented candidates seats they should have won, caused discontent among volunteers and donors, and severely damaged our prospects of forming government in 2029.
Following the catastrophic 2021 election, as State President, I initiated essential reforms to make us electorally competitive.
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The reform process was extraordinarily difficult as many within the party preferred internal conflict, treating the debate as an opportunity to undermine rivals or consolidate their own positions rather than genuinely engaging with the fundamental question: How can we regain voters’ trust?
We cannot make the same mistakes.
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We must embrace deep reform now if we hope to succeed in 2029. Specifically, we must develop a targeted electoral strategy immediately for the 18-20 crucial seats essential to forming government. Policy development must start now – not just months before the election. We must articulate a clear, practical, and bold vision that directly addresses voters’ concerns. And we should adopt innovative campaign techniques that have delivered success overseas, particularly in the US and UK.
Additionally, our candidate vetting processes require urgent reform to ensure we prevent problematic candidate histories acting as a distraction in campaigns. The plebiscite preselection model, which successfully led to outstanding candidates in key seats, should be expanded to the Upper House. Above all, we must commit to genuine teamwork, free from petty internal divisions and leadership intrigues. Every member must contribute fully; there can be no passengers if we intend to govern again.
This latest defeat should be a humbling experience. It demands honesty, accountability, and immediate, bold action. Western Australians deserve a credible Liberal alternative. Our future as a party depends on whether we can summon the courage and discipline required to rebuild trust with voters or risk permanent irrelevance.
Richard Wilson is a former State President of the WA Liberal Party.
Richard Wilson is a former State President of the WA Liberal Party.
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