WA election 2025: Liberal leader Libby Mettam wasn’t word perfect but she landed more hits on Roger Cook

Roger Cook came to the podium with a plan for jobs, literally, but Libby Mettam produced a new line of attack. She seized the moment when the Premier declared his ambition to serve a full term to implement Labor’s agenda. “Labor’s agenda? My agenda is Western Australia’s agenda,” she said. Under pressure and under heavy questioning, Ms Mettam produced the same fight she mustered when under attack from within the Liberal party. She wasn’t word perfect. Her answers didn’t always pass basic scrutiny. She wouldn’t set a target for social housing, if she becomes Premier. In her concluding comments, the Liberal leader again said her plan to ease cost of living included “lowering fees and charges” despite moments early conceding that was only an “option” not a promise. But she landed more hits on the Premier, partly because no one expected her to win. Mr Cook still couldn’t escape his past. And couldn’t explain how or when record levels of ambulance ramping — which are six times higher than the figure he called a “crisis” in 2017 — would improve. He called it a “downward trajectory” and said ramping had improved in the past financial year. But it has since gone back up. More than 5000 hours last month was a new January record. Mr Cook said it was a crisis because the previous Barnett Government gave up and had no answer. He needs to come up with new one. The two leaders are engaged in different battles this election, both fighting shadows. Mr Cook is trying to step out from the shadow of Mark McGowan’s legacy and write his own. Ms Mettam is still defying those “cowards in the shadows”, who said in December that she wasn’t good enough. This election isn’t as simple as winning or losing, both leaders will instead be assessed on the size of the victory.