State leaders Basil Zempilas and Shane Love earn praise on working relationship as federal Coalition splits

WA’s Liberal and National leaders were praising the pair’s working relationship in Perth on Tuesday, as their federal counterparts split the Coalition agreement. With negotiations still underway for a formal partnership between the two conservative parties at a State level, Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas praised the current relationship as a “well-functioning alliance”, which had already changed its parliamentary approach. While Mr Zempilas refused to be drawn on the federal decision, Nationals leader Shane Love warned parties were headed down the path of self-destruction if they wasted resources fighting one other. “I know David Littleproud enough to know that he’s not going to go down a path which leads to self destruction,” Mr Love said. “The Nationals know that if they’re going to be in government, it’s going to be with the Liberal Party. “What this actual breathing space does is to ensure they’re not fighting each other within the Coalition.” WA’s Liberal and Nationals broke up the Coalition after losing Government in 2001, with MP’s in State Parliament operating as an alliance since then. Mr Love said the split of the Federal Coalition would not impact the State Opposition, after the Liberals won seven seats and the Nationals’ six in the March election and talks still underway for an alliance agreement. “My anticipation is that we should have that all nailed down by the end of this year,” Mr Love said. “In fact, I would say that the events of today make it even more important.” Mr Zempilas said while a State Coalition may be the better model, the two parties were working in a very close well meaning high functioning alliance. “We’re working very well together. I think you’ve all seen how effective we’ve been in question time together in the parliament, more generally, together, we had our first joint party room meeting together today, and we are working as a team,” he said. WA Labor Premier Roger Cook described the Federal Coalition’s breakup as “extraordinary”. “It seems that the Nationals have unhitched themselves so that they can become further unhinged and simply make their way further to the extremes of our political spectrum,” he said. “This is a time for the Coalition to reflect on the reason why mainstream Australia turned their back on them. “My understanding is one of the key sticking points is that the nationals are rusted onto this idea of the nuclear power fantasy, and so it’s complete bonkers. “I can’t believe that they’ve made this decision. What we want is our mainstream political parties to come back to the mainstream, to come back to the centre.”