WA Liberal MP quits party over mining royalty proposal

Western Australia's Liberal leader, Basil Zempilas, has encountered his first significant test of political unity with the departure of Nedlands MP Jonathan Huston. Huston quit the party just over a year after his election, citing a fundamental policy disagreement over raising mining royalties to fund the abolition of payroll tax and establish a sovereign wealth fund.

Veteran MP Steve Thomas sharply criticized Huston's proposal, stating, "If your personal philosophy is to increase taxes and charges for Western Australian businesses to fund your own agenda, you are not a conservative or aligned with the Liberal Party's values." Thomas argued that such an agenda, with its "antipathy to the mining sector which powers WA," aligns more with communist or green parties than with Liberal principles. Zempilas also dismissed the idea, despite Huston's claim that it aligned with Liberal values by offering a practical solution to eliminate payroll tax.

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If your personal philosophy is to increase taxes and charges for Western Australian businesses to fund your own agenda, you are not a conservative or aligned with the Liberal Party's values.

Huston's decision has raised questions about his motivations for running as a Liberal and when Zempilas became aware of the divergence. However, many Liberal MPs appear unfazed by Huston's departure, with some indicating he never formally presented his ideas to colleagues. Party sources also noted Huston's independent streak, which reportedly clashed with the unity required within a political party.

Despite the internal disunity, the incident underscores a key tension for the Liberal Party: how to manage Western Australia's immense wealth and ensure it benefits residents, especially in the face of rising support for Pauline Hanson's One Nation party. A recent poll suggests One Nation is gaining traction in WA, placing third in primary vote support. Zempilas has acknowledged this challenge, stating he has an "open mind" to working with One Nation, indicating a strategic awareness of the shifting political landscape.

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Such an agenda, with its in-built antipathy to the mining sector which powers WA and delivers 46 per cent of our economy, belongs with the communist party, the Greens, or perhaps an independent.