The stage has been set for a three-way contest in a new West Australian seat as an outspoken former state Nationals Party leader faces an army veteran in her attempt to move into federal politics.
Mia Davies was preselected unopposed on Saturday as the Nationals' federal candidate for the newly created WA seat of Bullwinkel.
Ms Davies became the first WA Nationals opposition leader since 1947 when she formed a coalition with her Liberal counterparts after they were hammered in the 2021 state election.
An outspoken member, she has previously broken ranks with her federal counterparts on issues such as climate change and the voice to parliament and called for former federal Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce to resign over his affair with a staffer in 2018.
Ms Davies resigned as party leader in January 2023, saying she did not have enough "fuel left in the tank" to go on, but has remained in parliament as a backbencher.
Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud announced her preselection for Bullwinkel on Saturday, saying Ms Davies had broken glass ceilings and risen through the political ranks in state politics thanks to her hard work ethic, strong morals and tenacious attitude.
He described her as a courageous and passionate community advocate who understood the pressures faced by local families.
Mr Littleproud also issued a warning to his Liberal counterparts, who on Saturday preselected army veteran and former TV journalist turned political adviser Matt Moran for the seat.
"We polled the new seat of Bullwinkel and from our analysis of those numbers, it's very clear the only opportunity for the coalition to win this seat off Labor, a notionally Labor seat, is Mia Davies," he said.
"If we don't win this seat, then we get another three years of Anthony Albanese and the only pathway for the coalition to win is with Mia Davies."
The cost of living, child health and aged care, infrastructure, telecommunication and live sheep exports are top of mind for the preselected Nationals candidate.
"Three years ago, Prime Minister Albanese was handed the key to the Lodge by West Australians and since then, we've had nothing but pain," Ms Davies said on Saturday.
"We've seen policy initiatives and attacks on industry that are the lifeblood and underpinning of our state and national economy."
Ms Davies said she was buoyed by the overwhelmingly positive reaction to her federal tilt, saying the creation of the new seat changed her plans to step away from politics.
"I know what I'm getting myself into," she said.
"It's always a hard task, but I'm not afraid of hard work."
Labor are yet to select a candidate to contest the seat.
Created in the 2024 electoral boundary redistribution, Bullwinkel absorbs parts of neighbouring electorates, taking in towns east of Perth and some rural areas.
Western Australia has been classed as a battleground state after the Labor Party outperformed the opposition in the 2022 federal election, picking up four seats.
