WA Opposition Leader Mia Davies announces resignation

Western Australia's Opposition Leader Mia Davies has announced her resignation, after less than two years in the role.

At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Ms Davies said she would also step down as leader of the WA Nationals.

She will continue in her role as MLA for the Central Wheatbelt until the 2025 state election, but said she does not intend to recontest the seat. 

"I spent the summer thinking about my own parliamentary career and what's ahead, for not only the next two years, but what it would take to recontest the March 2025 state election," she said.

"I've been very up-front throughout my parliamentary career that I was determined not to be a career parliamentarian, and 17 years I feel, is enough for me.

"I've been a member of the legislative council, I'm very proudly the member for Central Wheatbelt, and I will continue in that role until the [2025] election.

"But, I don't have any fuel left in the tank to go beyond that election."

Ms Davies entered state politics in 2008 after being elected to represent the Agricultural Region.

In 2013, she was elected as the member for the Central Wheatbelt, and also became the first woman to become deputy leader of the Nationals WA.

Ms Davies went on to become the first female leader in the National Party when she was elected as the state parliamentary leader in 2017.

After Labor's crushing state election victory in 2021 left the Liberals decimated, the Nationals were able to pick up four seats in the lower house compared to the Liberals' two.

It meant Ms Davies was appointed opposition leader – the first WA National to hold the title since 1947 and only the third female opposition leader.

The Nationals went on to form an alliance with the WA Liberal party, which was the first alliance between the parties in opposition since 2005.

Ms Davies served as the Minister for Water, Forestry and Sport and Recreation in the Barnett Government.

'Couldn't be prouder'

Ms Davies was emotional while speaking of the "enormous privilege" she has had of leading the WA Nationals and representing regional constituents.

"If all I'd ever achieved in my parliamentary career was to be the member for Central Wheatbelt I couldn't be prouder," she said.

"But, to have served as a minister, to have been given the great opportunity to sit as the leader of the opposition … is something that I treasure dearly."

Ms Davies said her resignation as party leader more than two years out from the next state election would hopefully allow the Nationals to transition its leadership in an attempt to topple the McGowan Government.

"With the decisions that the party has to make, with our alliance partners, as we chart a course towards the next election … it is only fair that I allow the party to transition its leadership so they have the people in charge there will be there beyond March 2025," she said.

Ms Davies said she hoped to continue using her platform to advocate for more women to take up leadership roles.

"It's been truly, and will remain one of the joys of the job, which is to convince others and give them an example that [it] doesn't matter where you come from," she said.

"Whether you're a girl from Wyalkatchem … a tiny little town in the Wheatbelt, wherever you are in the state, that you can make a difference by contributing through public service."

Announcement came as a surprise

It is understood Ms Davies' announcement has taken the Labor Government and Premier Mark McGowan by surprise.

The Premier, who is in Japan, paid tribute to Ms Davies on social media. 

"I wish Mia Davies all the best for her future," Mr McGowan wrote on Twitter.

"As someone who was in the role for five years, I know how difficult being opposition leader can be, and the toll it can take.

"Thank you for your service to the state and your local community."

It is also understood few if any in the Liberal Party knew of Ms Davies' intention to step down and her National Party colleagues only learnt of it at the weekend.

WA Liberals leader David Honey praised Ms Davies for her efforts as the opposition leader against a Premier who was so overwhelmingly popular.

"It has been an absolute pleasure working alongside Mia in the role, in her role, as opposition leader," Dr Honey said.

"Mia has a wealth of parliamentary experience and she's brought that to the fore in the difficult role of such a small team holding this government to account."

'Broke glass ceilings'

Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud said Ms Davies was a trailblazer for women in the party. 

"Ms Davies has made an enormous contribution to Western Australia and to The Nationals," he said.

"Ms Davies broke glass ceilings and rose through the political ranks due to her hard work ethic, strong morals and tenacious attitude.

"I have a huge amount of respect for Ms Davies – she was a strong leader and never wavered from her beliefs."

Ms Davies has often broken from federal party lines, most recently criticising the Federal Nationals for its hard line stance against a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

She was also the first to call for former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce to resign in 2018 after revelations of his affair with former staffer Vikki Campion, and labelled an ensuing leadership spill "destabilising" when Mr Joyce was reappointed as party leader in 2021.

"I'm disappointed the party felt they needed to change leaders. I think it shows they're focused on internal matters instead of the people of regional Australia," she said of Mr Joyce's reappointment.

Ms Davies was also critical of the Federal Nationals' climate policies ahead of the 2022 federal election.