Door open for Nationals city candidates

The Nationals WA has opened the door to candidates to nominate for preselection in metropolitan Perth seats in a historic first for a party facing a daunting challenge at the 2025 state election.

The move, announced over the weekend following endorsement from the party’s state council, represents the first time in a century that the Nationals have opened the candidacy in city seats.

State president Julie Freeman said it represented an exciting opportunity for the Nationals to broaden its representation ahead of the 2025 state election.

“This is a historic moment for The Nationals WA as our party continues to evolve to ensure we do our best to represent families, businesses and communities right across WA,” she said.

“Whether you live in Bateman or Bridgetown, issues like housing and rental availability, the high cost of living, and the ongoing crisis in our health system are only becoming more challenging under the Cook Labor government.”

The move to put city candidates forward at the 2025 election comes as the party faces tough challenges due to electoral reform and boundary redistribution.

A change to the way the state’s upper house voted will take place from 2025, abolishing the electoral districts which previously guaranteed regional representation in the Legislative Council.

The party was also hit by the amalgamation of two regional seats it won at the 2021 ballot – North West Central and Moore – into one electoral region.

North West Central, which was won by Vince Catania for the Nationals, is now Liberal after Mr Catania’s replacement Merome Beard defected from the Nationals to the WA Liberal Party.

Moore is held by opposition leader Shane Love.

“As a result of these changes, the 2025 state election will see the lowest number of regional seats contested in WA’s history – with just 15 regional seats in the Legislative Assembly, and no dedicated regional seats in the Upper House,” Ms Freeman said.

“Local candidates in Perth will also help to bolster recognition for our Legislative Council candidates, which is critical to reducing Labor’s stranglehold on both houses of parliament.”

The Nationals opened a Perth branch in the seat of Bateman earlier this year, in another first for the party.

The clarification around Nationals preselection comes as the race for Liberal Party preselection heats up, with speculation mounting over potential candidates across the metropolitan area.

The next state and federal elections are expected to take place within weeks of each other in early 2025.