Mia Davies to Confirm Federal Ambitions

Former Western Australia Nationals leader Mia Davies will officially announce her entry into federal politics this Friday. The 45-year-old, who currently represents the state seat of Central Wheatbelt, had previously planned to retire from politics following the next WA election, scheduled for March 2025.

Federal Seat Bullwinkel and National Lobbying

The decision to pivot to federal politics comes after the creation of the new federal seat of Bullwinkel, which encompasses her Wheatbelt stronghold. Senior federal Nationals, including leader David Littleproud and Senator Bridget McKenzie, have actively lobbied Davies to consider a federal run.

Radio 6PR disclosed last month that Littleproud and McKenzie were instrumental in encouraging Davies to contest the new seat. Historically, the Nationals have struggled in WA federal elections, with only one member, Tony Crook, being elected to the House of Representatives in the past 40 years. Crook served a single term starting in 2010 before sitting as an independent on the crossbench for part of his term.

New Seat of Bullwinkle

The newly established seat of Bullwinkel merges parts of the existing electorates of Hasluck, Canning, Durack, and O’Connor. The seat’s boundaries will extend from the Perth hills, including Mundaring, Kalamunda, and Roleystone, north to Toodyay, east to York, and south to Beverley.

Davies’ Political Journey

Davies began her political career in the WA upper house in 2008 before transitioning to the Legislative Assembly in 2013. Following a significant loss for the WA Liberals in the 2021 COVID-19 election, where the party was reduced to just two seats, Davies became the leader of the opposition. In January 2023, she announced her intention to retire from politics after the 2025 election, citing a desire to avoid a long career in Parliament.

Final Decision and Current Role

Despite initially planning to retire, Davies acknowledged the influence of Littleproud’s approach regarding Bullwinkel. She mentioned being “pretty busy” with her current responsibilities but is now set to take on a new challenge in federal politics.

Source

Edited by: Australia today