WA election 2025: Up and coming Liberals Sandra Brewer, Damien Kelly and Liam Staltari the rising stars

Rising from the ashes, the WA Liberals are relying on a core team to form a solid opposition to beat Labor in 2029. Of the three Liberals in the lower house, only leader Libby Mettam is expected to be around after the election. WA Labor has dubbed the party the L-plate Liberals in its advertising, pointing out to voters that none of the MPs or candidates have experience in Parliament as ministers. In response, the Liberals are keen to highlight their rising stars with “real world” experience. Among the rising stars are Sandra Brewer (Cottesloe), Damien Kelly (Scarborough) and Liam Staltari (Carine). Ms Brewer, 51, emerged from a bruising preselection battle with former Liberal leader Dr David Honey a year ago. Growing up on a dairy farm, she has led the branding of Snickers chocolate bars and introduced the Masters Cows campaign. But it was her pre-election gig, as executive director of the Property Council, that proved controversial both within the Liberal party, and as she runs in the famously anti-development western suburbs. Labor, especially Housing Minister John Carey, has lashed her for supporting its planning reforms while at the Council, and then attacking them as a candidate. Ms Brewer is proud of her property record — saying she advocated for housing supply and sensible density — but says her experience is broader. “I certainly aspire to be a cabinet minister, and I’d be grateful for that opportunity if it were offered to me one day,” she said. “My broader interests are actually the economic portfolios. “I have a passion for deregulation and industry prosperity. I think Infrastructure and Transport are of interest to me because they are the catalyst for trade and for development.” Asked if she had the makings of a future Premier, she replied; “it’s certainly not in my current thinking”. Labor is “running dead” in Cottesloe, with no visible signage and its candidate spotted more often in Kalgoorlie, but Ms Brewer insisted the race between her and teal independent Dr Rachel Horncastle remains competitive. “There’s a well-resourced teal independent that is assisted by the existing structures in place of the federal teal member.” Liberal sources say Mr Kelly’s race against Scarborough Labor MP Stuart Aubrey is “very tight”. The 48-year-old corporate adviser, competitive surfer and former army reservist ran Liza Harvey’s campaign when she lost the blue-ribbon seat in the Mark McGowan wipeout. Mr Kelly has been a frequent presence at Libby Mettam’s press conferences, in and out of his electorate and says he’s up to the elevated role in the campaign. “It comes with responsibility, but also the whole point of why I’m running in the first place, is taking on more responsibility because I feel like I’m up for the challenge, and I don’t take the responsibility lightly,” he said. If he wins, the candidate also has his sights on being more than a backbencher. “My big success in politics ought to be measured, not by the number of years that you’ve been there, but by what you’ve actually achieved for your constituents and the State,” Mr Kelly said. “In my 25-year career as a corporate adviser, I’ve been thrown in the deep end in many different industries where I’ve learnt quickly, researched and grasped key issues very quickly. “My best competitive advantage would be in resources and mining. So mines and patrol is an area where I have a specific strength.” Mr Staltari, at 29, could be the “baby of the house” and will almost certainly be the youngest Liberal in parliament. A former president of the National Young Liberals, Mr Staltari has worked for Mineral Resources and AEMO, the national energy regulator. He bested Carine MP of 13 years, Tony Krsticevic, for preselection, as his camp pitched him as part of a new generation that could be in parliament for the long haul. A win against Labor MP Paul Lilburne is virtually certain. While his age could prejudice him in the short term, Mr Staltari has been among the most compelling candidates on the trail. Like Mr Kelly, he has appeared at press conferences well outside of his electorate — at times in place of more underwhelming local candidates — and like his Scarborough counterpart, he believes his speciality is in resources. “We need long-term solutions to get productivity moving again under the mining sector,” he said. “And I think we need Liberal governments with a long vision, and so parliamentarians who can serve for a long time and see that through. “I really am hopeful of playing a constructive role in the next chapter of the Liberal Party and, whether it’s in government or opposition, it’s going to be a lot of hard work.” Mr Staltari believes the Liberal campaign has showcased candidates with real world experience. “We’ve really been showcasing the breadth of our new cohort of candidates, that new bench,” he said. “If I’m lucky enough to be elected, I would like to play a long-term role in helping strengthen the Liberal Party and hopefully helping play a really good role in the future of the State.”