Basil Zempilas vows not to challenge Libby Mettam prior to 2025 election

Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas has refused to rule out taking over from Libby Mettam as “campaign leader” before the next election after a motion for him to do so was resoundingly defeated — but insisted he had nothing to do with an attempt to undermine her. Shadow treasurer Neil Thomson announced he would quit the front bench after a motion he brought forward to install Mr Zempilas, the Liberal candidate for Churchlands, as campaign leader from outside parliament was voted down by the Liberal’s 10-person party room. Ms Mettam declared the leadership speculation, ahead of the March 8 election, over. The day’s events followed a poll published in The West — commissioned by a mysterious businessman — that claimed to show the Liberals would perform better if there was a change of leadership and would make little progress from their 2021 defeat with Ms Mettam staying on. In a snap press conference outside Perth Council House on Tuesday, Mr Zempilas said he had not put his hand up to lead the party or called around for support, describing the day’s events as “unusual and peculiar”. The Lord Mayor, who is also a Seven West employee, reiterated he would not challenge Ms Mettam. But asked if he would accept a position as campaign leader, Mr Zempilas refused to rule out the “extreme hypothetical”. “I’m not going to rule out what ifs or this, or maybe, or ‘could this happen?’ It’s just not smart business to be talking about things that are in no control of your own,” he said. Ms Mettam has described those calling for a change in leadership as “cowards in the shadows”, with Mr Zempilas saying he did not believe that referred to him. “I spoke to Libby 20 minutes ago,” he said a few hours after Ms Mettam had survived. “We’ve got a very healthy relationship. So I didn’t take that as directed at me. She told me it wasn’t directed at me, and I’m hardly someone who’s in the shadows.” Asked if Ms Mettam was the best possible leader, Mr Zempilas replied: “she’s the only leader”. “You can only have one leader, and she’s the leader. So, she is the person charged with the responsibility of leading us to the election,” he said. Mr Zempilas denied knowledge of the secret poll until it was leaked to and published in The West. He said he had been told who had commissioned it, but was unsure if the name was accurate. Responding to claims Ms Mettam’s office had confirmed Federal candidate for Forrest, Ben Small, had provided her with the polling, the Lord Mayor said he did not have knowledge of that. Mr Zempilas said he not “thought about” whether the Liberal party would win more seats if he was leader, saying he was focused on winning the seat of Churchlands. Ms Mettam told The West she had spoken to him after he “reached out”. “He has stated his 100 per cent support for my leadership, as well as the fact that he stated he’s got no intention to take over as leader,” she said. The Liberal leader called a Zoom meeting with all candidates soon after her leadership was confirmed. She said she explained to candidates why she had called the vote and underlined the “unequivocal support” from the partyroom she enjoyed. “It was all about the fact that we are moving past this,” Ms Mettam said. The meeting was described by sources who attended as “short and matter-a-fact,” with an emphasis on unity. One WA Liberal candidate who had supported a change of leadership said it was now “back to the campaign trail,” while another insisted the issue was not resolved. Several Federal Liberal sources said Ms Mettam had shown herself to be a fighter and “tougher than some blokes thought”. One Federal MP sent Liberal candidates in the Peel and Perth Hills regions a message urging them to now “lock in behind her and prosecute our agenda aggressively”, calling the attack on Ms Mettam “amateur and ill-conceived”.