WA Liberals and Nationals preparing new code of conduct set to pause feud in lead-up to State election

The warring WA Liberal and National parties are working on a peace treaty, promising to be nice to each other in the lead-up to next year’s State election. With Liberal and National candidates set to face off not only in country seats — but for the first time, key city seats such as Bateman, Nedlands, South Perth, Nedlands, Forrestfield, Darling Range, Kalamunda and Bicton — a new code of conduct is being prepared which warns candidates not to behave badly towards one another. The Sunday Times has obtained a draft copy of the code of conduct currently been thrashed out by WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam, National Party leader Shane Love and party directors and presidents. “Campaign messaging should consistently highlight shared goals, with the objective of presenting a strong and united alternative to Labor. “Avoid public criticism of Alliance partners: Candidates will not publicly criticise or undermine Alliance candidates. “Differences, if any, shall be resolved privately and in a spirit of co-operation.” The code of conduct reminds candidates that Labor is the enemy — not conservatives. “Candidates should underscore the Alliance strengths and successes in governance while addressing specific shortcomings in Labor’s platform or policies,” candidates are told. And Liberal and National candidates are reminded of the consequences of ignoring the new rules of engagement. “Violations of the code of conduct may result in disciplinary action, including potential withdrawal of party endorsement.” Informed sources this week described the relationship between the Liberals and Nationals as “toxic”. Liberals are livid that Mr Love refuses to hand over the title of Opposition Leader to Ms Mettam before the March poll. Former Liberal premier Colin Barnett said Ms Mettam was the obvious choice to lead the conservatives. “Libby is effectively the Opposition leader,” Mr Barnett told The Sunday Times. “That’s the reality. “It’s a contest between Roger Cook and Libby Mettam as to who’s going to win and who’s going to be Premier.” The two parties are also at odds over several key policies — taking to the election different housing policies and disagreeing on whether to rip up Labor’s firearms laws if they win government. Mr Love — who is up against his former Nationals colleague Merome Beard in the new seat of Mid West after she defected to the Liberals — said the conservatives could ill afford to bicker amongst themselves. “We need to be focussing our attention on Labor, and any negative commentary must be not directed at each other because we have a large number of seats, we have to tip over to defeat the Labor Government,” Mr Love said. “Our focus must be on the Labor candidates, in each of those electorates, and to ensure we are working towards getting Labor out of office. “We (Liberal and National parties) need to work together, and if not together at least not at cross purposes.” WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam said on Saturday that along with a code of conduct, work was also progressing on an agreement between the Liberals and Nationals to directly preference one another in seats where both parties were running. “An enormous amount of progress has been made,” Ms Mettam said. “We are finalising our Code of Conduct with the National Party which extends to directly preferencing each other to maximise our ability to defeat the Labor Government in March. “This will formalise our focus on co-operatively delivering a better future for Western Australians and defeating a Labor Government who have their priorities all wrong.”