Join today and you can easily save your favourite articles, join in the conversation and comment, plus select which news your want direct to your inbox.
Join today and you can easily save your favourite articles, join in the conversation and comment, plus select which news your want direct to your inbox.
West Australian Nationals leader Brendon Grylls has conceded defeat in his seat of Pilbara, following a $2 million campaign against him by the mining industry angry at his iron ore tax proposal.
"I can't come back from this," he said on Tuesday.
Joe Francis slams Liberal Party election performance
Liberal MP Joe Francis' open and honest interview with Gareth Parker on 6PR.
He said he'd speak further about his loss next week, but now was "for the victor, not the loser".
Mr Grylls had wanted to increase the 25 cent per tonne production rental fee on iron ore set for BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto in the 1960s to $5 a tonne to raise $7.2 billion over the next four years.
According to the ABC election website, Mr Grylls has suffered a 13.5 per cent swing against him and lost the seat to Labor's Kevin Michel. The Nationals may also lose Kalgoorlie.
"We fought a fair fight and a good campaign - at the end of the day there's always going to be a winner and a loser. And the people have spoken," Mr Michel told the ABC.
Advertisement
He said he always thought he could win, "but nobody wanted to believe me."
The Nationals WA state president James Hayward said Mr Grylls' legacy was pivotal for WA's political history.
Nationals leader Brendan Grylls (middle) has lost his seat in the Pilbara against Kevin Michel (right).
"Brendon has never been afraid to get a blood nose in order to get a better deal for regional WA," he said.
"Brendon will go down in history as the architect of a once-in-a-generation Royalties for Regions policy that has delivered meaningful and transformative change across regional WA."