WA Liberals seek formal coalition with Nationals as David Honey named leader after election loss

The WA Liberals will seek to enter a formal coalition with the WA Nationals after the party was decimated at the recent state election.

"We think that is the best way we can hold the government to account in the future," new Liberal leader David Honey said.

"We're going to be putting ourselves in the best position to justify election as a government at the next election, and I'm going to be devoting myself to that task over the next four years."

The Liberals were reduced to two MPs in the Lower House, while the Nationals are predicted to have four.

It was the Liberals' biggest election loss in its history.

Dr Honey has been formally declared leader unopposed after the only other Lower House Liberal MP, Libby Mettam, decided not to stand for the top job.

Ms Mettam was elected as deputy leader while Steve Thomas is the Liberal leader in the Upper House, with Tjorn Simba his deputy.

Liberals say everything up for discussion

Nationals Leader Mia Davies congratulated Dr Honey on becoming leader and said her party would start discussions with the Liberals this week on opposition arrangements.

Dr Honey said he had spoken to Ms Davies and raised the prospect of a formal coalition.

"In whatever form, we're going to work really closely with the Nationals to hold the government to account," he said.

Dr Honey said all policies were up for discussion.

He revealed he did not write the party's green energy policy in the lead-up to the election and opposed the move to close all coal-fired power stations by 2025.

"I thought politically and otherwise that was unnecessary," he said.

He said the policy was written by a staffer in head office, someone with "very good energy qualifications".

But Dr Honey added he was a strong proponent of renewables and hydrogen, and believed they represented a key opportunity to create thousands of new jobs in the future.

'Weaponising' inside party must be stopped: Honey

Dr Honey has pledged to overhaul the party to stop individuals who sought to "weaponise" the organisation or who tried to unduly affect preselections.

Asked if he would seek to curb the influence of powerbroker Nick Goiran, Dr Honey refused to single out individual MPs.

But he said people's greatest concerns following the party's disastrous election involved the preselection process.

Dr Honey said the process should select candidates that represent a community, not specific interests.

"We need to make sure our preselections work that way," he said.

"If you've got someone that's weaponising an organisation to join multiple branches and affect the process in that way, or if there's a belief that the individuals can affect preselections, our processes need to stop that."

The Liberals are conducting a review of their election performance.

"One of the outcomes will be changing our processes so we make sure preselections reflect the collective views of people representing their community," Dr Honey said.

Next four years a 'huge job' for Liberals

Dr Honey argued he was the right person to oversee a "root and branch" analysis and restructuring of the party, because he was the Liberal state president when there was "undue influence" by a powerbroker over the party and preselections.

Dr Honey initiated a motion to expel former WA Liberal senator Noel Crichton-Browne from the Liberal Party in 1995.

"I had to deal with that issue as the state president and I led the whole process," he said.

Labor will control both houses in the new Parliament, with 53 members in the Legislative Assembly and at least 24 in the Legislative Council.

"This is a government that will be able to do what they like unless they are held to account by the Opposition," Dr Honey said.

He asked the media to help the opposition hold the government to account.

"This is going to be a huge job over the next four years, but I do know we are up to that task," he said.