Former Police Minister Rob Johnson has leaked an extraordinary phone message reportedly left by bitter rival and newly-elected Liberal member for Hillarys, Peter Katsambanis.
The two have been involved in a very public spat, accusing each other of dirty tactics in the lead up to a hotly contested election.
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Peter Katsambanis' voicemail message to Rob Johnson
Rob Johnson has leaked a voicemail message believed to be from the new Hillary's MP Peter Katsambanis.
At a debate in February organised by the Joondalup Business Association, the pair refused to shake hands and spent most of the night tearing strips off each other.
Mr Katsambanis was one of the few bright lights for the Liberals picking up the seat of Hillarys after the Liberal party got smashed at the polls.
But he then left a message on Mr Johnson's home phone at 2.49am on Sunday morning.
"Hello Rob Johnson," he says, slowly and somewhat unsteadily. "Have a great day. Enjoy the rest of your life. Thank you. Bye bye."
In a statement sent to WAtoday Mr Johnson added: "This [voicemail] demonstrates exactly why I ran for the seat ... I believe the people of Hillarys deserve better.
"This phone message and his comments to the media last night and this morning were deplorable."
Mr Katsambanis told Radio 6PR on Monday morning that it had been a "very, very tough 18 months" and he was honoured the people of Hillarys had chosen him to represent them in Parliament.
"I do admit I lost track of the time on Saturday night after the election ... we were still unpacking our kits, the unglamorous stuff you do after an election," he said.
"I dispute that I was drunk and I am not sure that the speed of the communication that has been put out is the speed that I spoke at. I think everyone knows my voice and that I speak relatively quickly.
"I had been given a beer by one of my team – I probably had about half of it then put it down, started working and forgot about it. After what we'd been through..."
He said the motivation for the phone call was that Rob Johnson "didn't have the good grace" to ring and concede that he had been defeated.
"After all he has put my family through and my volunteers ... I would have thought it would have been the graceful thing to ring and concede.
"In all the elections that I've ever been involved with in 30 years people who are defeated in an election ring up and concede to their opponent.
"Perhaps I was motivated more by that anger. The anger over what my family has endured.
"That has now happened. What we have to focus on now is for me to represent the people of Hillarys, to listen to them and to act on their behalf. Secondly, we have a big job as a Liberal Party.
"We lost a lot of good people. A few of my colleagues are hanging on and my thoughts and prayers go out to them but we do need to reflect on what we need to do to get back to our basic core values and start advocating for the people who supported us in 2013, because there were a lot of those who did in 2013 who chose not to this year."
He refused to speculate on the Liberal Party leadership but said he would not be putting up his own hand for the job.
In May, Mr Johnson labelled Facebook comments made by Mr Katsambanis' wife Karalee - criticising the preselection process in Hillarys - as "deplorable".
Ms Katsambanis - a radio personality and former Fairfax Media journalist - took to Facebook after her husband lost preselection for the blue ribbon seat of Hillarys to businessman Simon Ehrenfeld.
"F***ing ropeable," Mrs Katsambanis wrote.
"Being "threatened" because I am in the media to keep quiet...yeah right! F**k with my husband and family...you have me to deal with and trust me, that's not a path anyone would want to choose."
Ironically, Mr Katsambanis was formally preselected for the seat in May after the party dumped Mr Ehrenfeld.