Christian Porter has been dubbed "The Leader of the Canberra Six" in a stinging attack from a long-time Liberal Party donor.
Wealthy businessman Julian Stawell recently called into question the level of advocacy Mr Porter provides for his home state.
![Minister for Social Services Christian Porter has been dubbed leader of the 'Canberra Six'.](/web/20170405082121im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/0/l/h/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvdpkp.png/1491361491327.jpg)
Mr Stawell last month wrote to the CEO of the 500 Club, a group that raises funds for the conservative party, denouncing the ineffective advocacy of the six Liberal cabinet ministers from WA, who he dubbed 'The Canberra Six', and calling for support to be withheld from them.
News of the letter caused a ruckus around the city, with Mr Stawell reporting that the flood of responses he received were "very supportive".
![Christian Porter and Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison. Mr Porter has been accused of failing to fight for a fairer GST deal.](/web/20170405082121im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/e/e/f/c/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvdpkp.png/1491361491327.jpg)
While inundated with emails, calls and Facebook messages after the letter went public, there remained an eerie silence from the six ministers mentioned, with the only formal response from the Liberal Party coming from federal member Ben Morton.
Appalled by Mr Porter's decision to respond via a column in The Sunday Times, Mr Stawell on Tuesday sent a scathing email direct to Mr Porter, picking apart the column in which he blamed the media for beating up the issue of GST distribution.
The email noted it seemed ironic the Minister chose to use the media to give a response, while at the same time blaming the media for the level of outrage directed at the 'Canberra Six'.
"Blaming the media for the deterioration of the reputation of politicians is a smokescreen that insults the electorate," Mr Stawell wrote.
![Minister for Employment Michaelia Cash.](/web/20170405082121im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/2/9/u/v/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvdpkp.png/1491361491327.jpg)
"The public make up their own mind as is evidenced through Trump, Brexit, Hansonism, the original outcry on boat policy in Australia, the Carbon Tax and the Republic.
"Whatever you think of these issues, it must be acknowledged the public consistently demonstrate their own mind and politicians in general, not just you, Christian, need to park this excuse."
Mr Stawell informed Mr Porter he was inundated with feedback suggesting the WA electorate had had enough of their Liberal representatives, particularly when it came to the issue of GST share and infrastructure spending.
He pointed out the seats of Pearce, Hasluck, Swan, Canning and Stirling were very likely to be endangered.
When I looked at you I thought of psychos.
The extraordinary email included a barb directed at Mathias Cormann, and his "ironic" negotiations with Senator Nick Xenaphon over tax cuts.
"I wonder if at any stage during these negotiations whether it twigged with Mr Cormann that this is what electoral advocacy actual looks like," Mr Stawell pondered.
While he has not responded to Mr Stawell about widespread concerns about issues affecting WA, on March 30 Mr Cormann answered a question without notice from Labor member Glenn Sterle regarding the letter to the 500 Club.
"In his letter Mr Stawell accused the Canberra Six of being 'psycophantic to the Canberra establishment," Mr Sterle told Parliament.
Interjecting, Canberra Six member Michaelia Cash corrected him. "Sycophantic!"
"Sycophantic, sorry," Mr Sterle said. "When I looked at you I thought of psychos."
Continuing his questioning, Mr Sterle asked Mr Cormann what action he would take to avoid the threat of disendorsement by grassroots Liberals?
To which Mr Cormann responded: "These sorts of juvenile, university level jibes do not do you any credit at all, Senator Sterle."
Mr Stawell told WAtoday he remained incredibly frustrated with the 'Canberra Six' and their failure to act on behalf of WA. His letter to Mr Porter addressed Mr Porter's "claims of success", describing them as "pitiful".
"As a former state treasurer, it strikes me that you have not grasped the national economic argument that in many cases government monies would get a better national return if spent here rather than other mendicant states," he wrote under the sub-heading Sound National Economics.
Mr Stawell said he realised politicians were busy people, and though he had received an automated reply from Mr Porter's office on receipt of the email, he was not expecting a response to come through too quickly.
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