Joe Spagnolo: Liberals relent as senior member of The Clan Nick Goiran set for a comeback

Well, well, well. Look who’s back in Libby Mettam’s good books.

None other than Nick Goiran — otherwise known as powerbroker No.3 and senior member of The Clan.

If you’re wondering who powerbrokers No.1 and No.2 are — or were — that’s former Federal finance minister and WA Liberal senator Mathias Cormann and his sidekick, Peter Collier.

Political boffins will remember that Goiran, a Liberal Upper House member, was put in the sin bin by Mettam at the start of this year for being a naughty, naughty boy after he, Collier and Cormann were caught out in a series of leaked text messages bragging about how they basically ran the WA Liberal Party — picking candidates and making all sorts of people offers they couldn’t refuse.

Cormann left politics and jetted off to Paris to take up a new gig as OECD boss and spends much of the year overseas, leaving Goiran and Collier to face the music here in sunny Perth.

When Mettam took over from David Honey as WA Liberal leader in January, there was pressure on her to address the shenanigans of The Clan — draw a line in the sand as she put it.

Collier released an apology on the same day the party elected a new leader, but a defiant Goiran refused to “kneel” before Mettam.

He was subsequently punted from the shadow cabinet.

“This is a line in the sand, this is a reset for the Liberal Party, this is the rest the Liberal Party desperately needs, and I would not be putting my hand up for this job if I was not prepared to make tough decisions,” Mettam said of putting Goiran on ice.

Eleven months later it appears Goiran is gearing up for a political comeback — with Mettam’s blessing.

In my end-of-year interview with Mettam last week, I asked her whether Goiran would be returning to either shadow cabinet, or cabinet, depending on how things pan out at the 2025 State election.

“We will make those decisions following our election in 2025,” Mettam replied.

As Mettam plots the road to the next poll, there is no doubt she needs every bit of talent she can get.

I continued with: ”So you are not ruling it out?”

Mettam replied: “No”.

She pointed out that Goiran was a very experienced parliamentarian, which he is.

No one has ever doubted his ability. As a lawyer, he is a smart cookie and works hard.

It’s just that Nick appears to see himself as somehow doing the will of God in Parliament — and that doesn’t always go down well with not-so-Christian MPs.

Mettam leaving the window open to Goiran returning to the inner circle will be music to the ears of Laborites who are currently plotting their pre-election strategy.

Not that Labor is devoid of sin either. Unions have just chosen Labor’s latest replacement in the ministry, rather than the Premier.

Coming back to Goiran, the signs have been there for a while that the Frenchman’s star is shining once more.

Recently at State conference the foundations were laid for him to rise from the dead.

The Liberals decided that the order of their 37-person Upper House ticket for the next election will be governed by who was the previous No.1 candidate for their respective regions.

Guess who was the No.1 person on the 2021 ticket for the South Metropolitan Region? Nick Goiran.

Put simply, it means Goiran will almost certainly be No.3 on the Liberal ticket, assuring him of re-election.

As Mettam plots the road to the next poll, there is no doubt she needs every bit of talent she can get.

That’s why confirmation that respected barrister Hayley Cormann — the wife of Mathias Cormann — is seeking the candidacy in South Perth is good news for the WA Libs.

Under normal circumstances Goiran would be in your starting six when forming a Liberal cabinet.

But his outing as a powerbroker and political puppeteer leaves Mettam in somewhat of a quandry.

You have to remember the Liberals have spent the past year-and-a-bit trying to convince anyone who will listen that the party is on the cusp of a new era and devoid of interference — Clan or otherwise.

The Liberals now say that their pre-selection processes will be far more democratic, with more members now able to vote on who they want to represent them.

“We have the most democratic process that the Liberal Party has seen in Western Australia and also a far more democratic process than any other political party in this State,” Mettam told me.

“It is ultimately up to the membership of the Liberal Party how members are pre-selected. I back that process. It will ultimately be up to members of the South Metropolitan Region.”

Has Mettam sought assurances from Goiran he won’t meddle in pre-selections next year?

“I have confidence in the pre-selection process and reform work that has been undertaken by the party,” Mettam said.

Hmmmm.

I’m not so sure Libby.