The WA Nationals have chosen Terry Redman to succeed outgoing leader Brendon Grylls.
Mr Redman was deputy leader before Mr Grylls announced he was stepping down from the leadership to devote more time to his family and his Pilbara electorate.
The Nationals' 11 MPs made the decision at their weekly party room meeting at State Parliament on Tuesday.
At a press conference in Perth today Mr Redman congratulated Mr Grylls for more than eight years as parliamentary leader, saying he had left a lasting legacy on the 100-year-old party, politics in WA and the future of regional Western Australia.
“In his time as leader of The Nationals WA, Brendon has taken the party to new political heights, bringing an unprecedented level of State Government attention to regional WA,” Mr Redman said.
“As a committed party leader and dedicated member of Cabinet, Brendon has been able to pursue and achieve his goal of helping regional communities receive the support, investment and development they deserve.
“It is truly an honour to have worked under his visionary leadership and I trust he will continue to provide valuable guidance to myself and party members as he represents his constituents as the Member for Pilbara.”
Mr Redman has held the seat of Warren Blackwood since entering WA politics after the 2005 State election and has since fought hard as a parliamentarian and Cabinet member to represent the best interests of regional WA.
He plans to follow in the footsteps of Mr Grylls safeguarding the Nationals-devised Royalties for Regions program to ensure regional WA gets its fair share of Government expenditure.
However, it is unclear whether Mr Redman will take over Mr Grylls' position as regional development minister.
Mr Grylls said he expected the portfolio, which involves controlling the Royalties for Regions program, would stay with the Nationals leadership.
But Premier Colin Barnett said on Monday that decisions on specific portfolios would not be made until the new leader had been elected.
The Nationals will appoint a new minister to cabinet. Under the terms of its coalition agreement with the Liberals, the National Party is entitled to three cabinet positions, to the Liberals' 14.
Mr Redman is currently minister for training and workforce development, water, and forestry. He is also MP for Warren-Blackwood, after narrowly retaining the seat in this year's election.
Before entering politics, he taught at several agricultural colleges in WA and spent nine years as principal of Denmark Agricultural College.
Mr Redman advised the process for electing a new deputy leader would take place next Tuesday at a meeting of the Parliamentary National Party.
