Federal election 2025: Divided loyalties as Libs and Nats battle each other — and Labor — for WA’s newest seat

A fierce fight for WA’s newest seat has exposed divided loyalties, with star Nationals recruit Mia Davies launching an election eve attack ad warning voters against the “big party duopoly”.

The former State Opposition Leader has stood alongside Liberal candidate Matt Moran several times on the campaign trail to make joint election commitments.

But she has spoken out against Coalition policy on critical minerals and has vowed to speak up within a joint party room in Canberra if elected.

Ms Davies denied the ad blitz launched on social media on Friday night — which urged voters not to “let the big party duopoly silence local voices” — was a deliberate attempt to undercut the Liberal campaign.

“We’re just pointing out that for the first time, many people in the electorate of Bullwinkel have the option of voting for change that they can trust,” she said.

“We’ve said that we have a strong alternative, a change that you can trust. We are part of forming government, providing stable government. That’s something that other minor parties can’t do.”

Mr Moran, a former journalist and Afghanistan army veteran, denied the media attention on Ms Davies has stolen his thunder.

“I’ve just been focusing on my own campaign, I wish all the candidates well,” he said.

“I think we’ve run a good campaign, everyone has been, you know, honourable and we’ve all got along well on the campaign trail.”

Labor candidate Trish Cook has a slim lead in published opinion polls but a three-way contest has made Bullwinkel hard to predict.

After a Labor volunteer was photographed with both ALP and Greens how-to-vote cards in hand, Ms Cook denied she was in cahoots with the minor party.

“What we do is we recycle the how-to-vote cards,” she said, after voting at Wattle Grove Primary School on Saturday.

“We divvy them up and when you see the other person from the party we hand them over, so I don’t think there’s anything, I don’t think you can read anything into that.”

Ms Cook’s campaign was given an election day boost by another Cook, when the Premier made a brief stop at the polling booth in Wattle Grove, posing for selfies and indulging in a democracy sausage.

“Onion underneath, a squiggle of tomato sauce and a straight line of mustard,” Roger Cook said.

Ms Cook wasn’t willing to predict a result.

“I can’t say, it’s my first campaign, I’m not a career politician,” she said.

But she insisted she’s not counting on Greens preferences to get her across the line against two Coalition candidates.

“I’m just doing exactly what I can, I am a supporter for environment improvement and stronger environmental laws,” Ms Cook said.