Western Australia's opposition is in turmoil as Libby Mettam prepares to mount a challenge for the leadership of the Liberal Party.
Ms Mettam wrote to Liberal Leader David Honey shortly after 6.00pm on Friday to inform him she intends to challenge him for the role.
"Further to our phone conversation, I am writing to advise you that I propose to contest the leadership of the parliamentary Liberal Party and am requesting a special party room meeting is called for this coming Tuesday," she said in the email.
It comes just hours after the shock resignation of the Nationals Leader and State Opposition Leader Mia Davies.
In Western Australia, the state opposition is made up of an alliance of the National Party and the Liberal Party.
The Liberal Party were all but wiped out at the 2021 state election, leaving the National Party with more seats in Western Australia's lower house than the Liberal Party — four versus two.
As a result, the Nationals were technically the state opposition and both parties formed the opposition alliance with Nationals Leader Mia Davies as opposition leader.
But on Friday Ms Davies announced she would not contest the 2025 election and would be stepping down as leader, leaving the Nationals to vote for a new opposition leader next week.
The division within the Liberal Party came in the wake of the shock announcement, with Libby Mettam also sending the email to her seven upper house colleagues.
'Change is essential'
In the correspondence, Ms Mettam said her decision had not been made lightly.
"I have made this decision after considerable reflection and consultation," she said.
"This has been an extremely challenging period for the parliamentary Liberal Party and your preparedness to take on the leadership task following the last election is widely appreciated.
"However, I believe we have not been as effective as we should have been and change is required now to allow the Liberal Party to develop a strong, diverse, connected and competitive team.
"I believe the change is essential if we are to regroup and re-emerge as the party in Western Australian politics that advocates for aspirational Western Australians, families and small businesses, lower taxes, and safety in our community."
Ms Mettam is the Member for Vasse and has been active as the opposition health spokeswoman.
Mettam takes aim at West Australian government
She also used her message to Dr Honey to take a swipe at the Labor government.
"It is my view that a leadership change is done as a matter of urgency, as we see an increasingly arrogant and self-serving government that takes West Australians for granted."
"I have shared your frustration as one of only two Liberal members in the Legislative Assembly, which is dominated by a Premier who believes he is above accountability and transparency and who is completely out of touch with the hardships many Western Australians are facing."
Dr Honey, who is the Member for Cottesloe, declined to comment on Ms Mettam's leadership challenge.
Ms Mettam singed off with an appeal that she and Mr Honey, who is her only Liberal colleague in the Legislative Assembly, could continue to work together.
"In the interests of transparency and as a courtesy to my colleagues, I have copied in our parliamentary team to this email," she wrote.
"I trust that we can continue to work together to achieve more for Western Australians in the lead up to the 2025 state election, regardless of the outcome on Tuesday."
It was expected among Liberal MPs that Ms Mettam had the numbers for her challenge to be successful.
One Liberal MP, who did not want to be named, told the ABC the challenge had not come as a surprise.
The MP predicted Ms Mettam would have the numbers among the small cohort to topple Mr Honey.
"I don't think anyone could say this is unexpected," the MP said.
Dr Honey is rumoured to have the support of only Nick Goiran and potentially Neil Thomson.
