Western Australian Liberal Party

Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division)
Leader	Mike Nahan
Ideology	Liberalism Liberal conservatism Classical liberalism
Political position	centre-right
National affiliation	Liberal Party of Australia
Legislative Assembly	14 / 59
Legislative Council	9 / 36
Website
https://www.waliberal.org.au/
Politics of Australia Political parties Elections

The Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division) is the division of the Liberal Party of Australia in Western Australia. Formed in 1945, the party has held power for five separate periods in coalition with the National Party (previously the Country party). The party has been in opposition in the state since the 2017 election.

Name

The party initially adopted the name Liberal Party. In 1949 the party changed the name to Liberal and Country League; unlike the party of the same name in South Australia this did not involve a merger with the state Country Party although one individual MLA did defect from the Country Party to the Liberals. In 1968 the party changed its name to the Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division).

Leaders

Leader	Date started	Date finished
Ross McDonald	1945	14 December 1946
Ross McLarty	14 December 1946	1 March 1957
David Brand	1 March 1957	5 June 1972
Charles Court	5 June 1972	25 January 1982
Ray O'Connor	25 January 1982	15 February 1984
Bill Hassell	15 February 1984	25 November 1986
Barry MacKinnon	25 November 1986	12 May 1992
Richard Court	12 May 1992	26 February 2001
Colin Barnett	26 February 2001	9 March 2005
Matt Birney	9 March 2005	24 March 2006
Paul Omodei	24 March 2006	17 January 2008
Troy Buswell	17 January 2008	4 August 2008
Colin Barnett	4 August 2008	21 March 2017
Mike Nahan	21 March 2017	present

Election results

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Government
1947	Ross McLarty	57,621	35.24	13 / 50	6	2nd	Coalition
1950	Ross McLarty	90,089	40.08	15 / 50	2	2nd	Coalition
1953	Ross McLarty	71,042	37.95	15 / 50	0	2nd	Opposition
1956	Ross McLarty	98,335	33.13	11 / 50	4	2nd	Opposition
1959	David Brand	98,335	37.48	17 / 50	6	2nd	Coalition
1962	David Brand	120,267	41.16	18 / 50	1	2nd	Coalition
1965	David Brand	144,178	48.02	21 / 50	3	1st	Coalition
1968	David Brand	141,271	44.00	19 / 51	2	2nd	Coalition
1971	David Brand	139,865	29.66	17 / 51	2	2nd	Opposition
1974	Charles Court	208,288	40.33	23 / 51	6	1st	Coalition
1977	Charles Court	287,651	49.35	27 / 55	4	1st	Coalition
1980	Charles Court	257,218	43.75	26 / 55	1	1st	Coalition
1983	Ray O'Connor	256,846	39.86	20 / 57	6	2nd	Opposition
1986	Bill Hassell	324,961	41.32	19 / 57	1	2nd	Opposition
1989	Barry MacKinnon	344,524	42.79	20 / 57	1	2nd	Opposition
1993	Richard Court	402,402	44.15	26 / 57	6	1st	Coalition
1996	Richard Court	384,518	39.90	29 / 57	3	1st	Coalition
2001	Richard Court	319,927	31.16	16 / 57	13	2nd	Opposition
2005	Colin Barnett	382,014	35.64	18 / 57	2	2nd	Opposition
2008	Colin Barnett	418,208	38.39	24 / 59	6	2nd	Coalition
2013	Colin Barnett	583,500	47.62	31 / 59	7	1st	Coalition
2017	Colin Barnett	412,710	31.23	13 / 59	18	2nd	Opposition

See also

• Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Western Australia

External links

• Liberal Party of Western Australia