The Western Australia Party (WAP) was a regional political party active in Western Australia.
The party was founded in 2016 by Julie Matheson, a councillor with the City of Subiaco as Julie Matheson for Western Australia to contest the 2017 state election.[1] In July 2017, the party's name was changed to the Western Australia Party.[2]
Matheson unsuccessfully ran for the Australian Senate at the 2016 federal election as an independent candidate. Following her defeat, Matheson registered the Julie Matheson for Western Australia party in order to contest the 2017 Western Australian state election.[5] The party received just 0.5% of first-preference votes in the Legislative Assembly, and 0.4% in the Legislative Council.[6]
In 2017, the party rebranded as the "Western Australia Party", with the aim of contesting the next federal election on a platform advocating for Western Australia receiving more GST. The party was reported to have received financial support from a group of local businessmen, with retired barrister and judge Peter Nisbet serving as a spokesman and another retired barrister Bevan Lawrence serving on the party's steering committee; Matheson also remained involved. Nisbet stated that the party's "sole objective is to get a better deal with the GST and, secondly, a better share of defence contracts".[7]
As the party was not registered with the Australian Electoral Commission, Matheson contested the 2018 Perth by-election as an independent candidate. After the by-election, the party applied to be registered on a federal level. This registration was granted on 30 August 2018.[10]
In 2019, the party contested its first federal election, running 20 candidates across Western Australia. However, the party again fared poorly, gaining only 1.8% in the House of Representatives and 1.2% in the Senate.
The Western Australia Party promoted itself as a centrist alternative to the major parties.[14][15] Where decisions are made based on what's in the best interests of Western Australia as opposed to party ideology. As such the party has a wide array of political ideas with members coming from many other political parties.
The party's centrist image was reinforced through preferences. The party always used a split-ticket system of preferencing, and at the 2019 federal election, the party's preferences were the most evenly split of any political party in Australia.[16]
Throughout its history, the party held policies to change taxation laws in Western Australia. Including a 100% per capita share of the G.S.T., removing payroll and capital gains tax, and the removal of fringe benefits tax. Further policies include reform to the Western Australian Family Court and Local Government Systems.[17]
^Kerslake, David (13 July 2017). "Approval of Change of Name and Abbreviated Name". Letter. Western Australian Electoral Commission.
^Western Australia Party (2018), Western Australia Party, Western Australia Party, retrieved 28 November 2022 see also - https://catalogue.slwa.wa.gov.au/record=b5610122~S2, website quote from 2018.. "Formed in 2016, the Western Australia Party is the only party registered with the WA Electoral Commission with the sole purpose of representing the people of WA to get a better deal from Canberra. The formation of the Party is inspired by the original Western Australia Party that operated from 1906 to 1909 to protect the rights of Western Australia, led by Sir John Forrest the first Premier of WA in 1890" -- website (viewed 7 May 2018)
