Basil Zempilas confirmed as new leader of WA Liberal Party, with Libby Mettam named as deputy

Ex-broadcaster and former Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas has been confirmed as leader of the WA Liberals, signalling a “reset” of the party as the “road to 2029 begins”.

The Churchlands MP was elected to the position unopposed in a party meeting on Tuesday, just days after Libby Mettam stepped down from the role and two weeks after the Libs suffered a third straight state election defeat.

Mettam was elected as his deputy, also unopposed.

“It is hugely important to all of us as the reset of the Liberal Party in WA begins that our priority is to be amongst the community, to go out into the community, and to walk side by side with the community and to listen,” Zempilas said.

“It is clear that our messaging did not resonate the way we would have hoped at the previous election.”

Zempilas, 53, is the sixth leader of the Liberal Party since the 2017 election loss.

Liberal powerbrokers will be hopeful the former TV and radio personality can provide the longer-term stability the party has been craving amid Labor’s period of sustained domination, and ultimately steer it back on course to claw back ascendency.

“I am confident that I have the support of my colleagues behind me. I am confident in my own ability like all of my colleagues to work hard every day,” he said.

“Work hard today and tomorrow will take care of itself. That’s the personal philosophy that I am bringing to this role.

“I’m not looking too far forward and my only consideration and only concern is for the people of Churchlands in my instance and the people of WA.”

Latest counting shows Labor has secured 46 of 59 seats in the lower house. The Liberals have seven and the Nationals six.

The Liberals claimed the final lower house seat of Kalamunda on Monday night, paving the way for them to claim formal opposition status.

Zempilas said the Liberals were committed to being ”champions of fairness”, would be hardworking and rigorous, and said they would prioritise common sense.

“We’re all tremendously humbled by the opportunity that is before us,” Zempilas said.

“And our undertaking to everybody, to the people of Western Australia, is to work hard every day to put their best interests first. That is who we are here to represent.”

Zempilas said his party would meet in the near future to discuss the “way forward” with the Nationals in WA.

“Once we reach a consensus position or a clearer picture forward emerges then at that time, not before, we will continue to invite further conversations and perhaps negotiations with the National Party,” he said.

“But the first step towards that is getting a sense of what my colleagues see as the right way for this to play out.”

Thanking the party’s former leader, Zempilas branded Mettam an “inspiration for all of us” and said there would be no tension between them.

“We have only ever worked very, very well together. I’m a huge admirer of Libby’s,” Zempilas said.