Nationals retain Upper House power
The Nationals are set to retain the balance of power in the Upper House after securing five seats to bolster their negotiating position with Government partner the Liberals.
With results in five out of the six Legislative Council regions finalised yesterday, newcomers the Shooters and Fishers party confirmed their entry into WA politics with Rick Mazza elected to the Agricultural Region.
However, hopes that their meteoric rise would deliver two Upper House spots were thwarted after National Dave Grills beat John Parkes to join fellow party newcomer Jacqui Boydell in the Mining and Pastoral Region.
The Nationals also succeeded in replacing Max Trenorden and Phil Gardiner, who failed on a rural independents ticket, with Martin Aldridge and Paul Brown in the Agricultural Region, while Colin Holt scraped in to keep his South West seat.
The Greens' poor election result was confirmed with the loss of party elder Giz Watson and Alison Xamon to reduce their representation to Robin Chapple (Mining and Pastoral) and Lynn MacLaren (South Metro).
If predictions for the North Metropolitan Region eventuate today, the Liberals will have 17 seats and Labor 11.
Given, as tradition dictates, a Liberal president is chosen in the 36-seat Council, the Liberals will be reduced to 16, which is short of the 18 votes needed to guarantee the passage of legislation.
Political analyst Harry Phillips said that after losing the balance of power in the Lower House, the result "does slightly strengthen the Nationals' position".
"For all intents and purposes, you'd have to say that the Nationals will continue to hold the balance of power," he said.
In 2010, the Nationals used their numbers in the Upper House to knock back the Barnett Government's proposed stop and search laws.
Dr Phillips said he expected the Liberals and Nationals to co-operate on most matters.
Mr Holt said while the party was not in as strong a position as 2008 it would continue to push for its policies.
"Having the numbers in the Upper House certainly helps that," he said.
"If it's going to adverse to our regional constituency we take it seriously."
A recount in the Lower House seat of Midland has confirmed Labor MP Michelle Roberts as the winner by 24 votes, up from 23 *.
