Basil Zempilas, a former broadcaster and the Lord Mayor of Perth, has been unanimously elected as the new leader of the Western Australia (WA) Liberals. His confirmation as the opposition leader took place during a party meeting at Parliament House this morning.
In conjunction with Zempilas’s election, former leader Libby Mettam was re-elected unopposed as deputy leader, just a week after announcing she would not contest for the top role again.
During his acceptance speech, Zempilas expressed gratitude to Mettam for her dedicated service, commending her approach as “incredibly stoic.” He also acknowledged outgoing deputy leader Steve Martin for his contributions to the party.
Describing his new role as a “great honour” and “very humbling,” Zempilas laid out his vision for the future. He emphasised a commitment to fostering excellence not only within the party but also for the people of Western Australia. He mentioned the importance of being rigorous and responsive to the desires of the Western Australian electorate, highlighting a collective yearning for practical and sensible governance.
Zempilas concluded his address by affirming the party’s commitment to upholding common sense in their policies and actions moving forward.