Libby Mettam: The ‘shy’ and quiet achiever vying to make history as WA’s first elected female Premier

Politics never figured in the wildest dreams of the shy girl from Gero, now vying to become WA’s first elected female premier next Saturday. Catapulting the Liberal Party to victory from the nadir of near-oblivion four years ago is mission improbable, but crucially for Libby Mettam, not impossible. The 47-year-old isn’t fazed by opponents underestimating her. She’s used to it. Ms Mettam said people could get the wrong impression because she didn’t come across as “bolshy” as others. “I think if you’ve got determination and you’re willing to stay the course and be focused on what the goal is, you can surprise anyone,” she said. Such resolve has helped her defy doubters up to this point. “I worked out early in the piece that nobody should underestimate Libby in terms of her ability and her work ethic, which is phenomenal,” said former Upper House member for the South West, Barry House, who engaged her as a research officer in the 2000s. Ms Mettam said it was a quirk of fate that she entered politics in the first place. “I wasn’t originally thinking of becoming an MP or putting my hand up ... It wasn’t ever a personal ambition,” she said. “It was more something that came my way ... it sort of all fell into place.” What precisely came her way a by-election in her local electorate, Vasse, following the sudden resignation of the scandal-mired, but locally popular incumbent Troy Buswell. Her talent had been noticed. “I think it was a pretty easy decision (to say yes),” Ms Mettam said. “I’ve always been pretty ambitious, but I guess the difference was that I wasn’t that into putting myself out there.” Born in Perth and brought up in Geraldton, she had “a pretty happy, but ordinary upbringing, two loving parents and a brother”. She attended Bluff Point Primary School and then Geraldton Senior High School. “Life was oriented around school, sport and the beach, basically.” Her dad, Peter, was a keen surfer and family holidays included trips to Bali and Hawaii. Mindful of the struggles of many children and families, she was very grateful for the ordinariness of her upbringing. Mum Jenny worked as a real estate agent while her dad was a biochemist in the laboratory at Geraldton Regional Hospital. “I did do Country Week, but the award I got was for the speech team, which is pretty daggy,” Ms Mettam joked. Trips to Perth were a thrill. “In holidays, I would often catch the bus with a friend to Perth and stay with my auntie and uncle in Scarborough, and enjoy that coastline and going into the city,” she recalled. After finishing Year 12 in 1994, the bright lights beckoned. Wanting to study media, she had little choice but to uproot from the Mid West to Perth. “It was quite eye opening, seeing how big the city was and what all of the options were,” she said. “But in other respects it was revealing in terms of the anti-social behaviour and crime.” She commenced a bachelor of arts in broadcasting at the WA Academy of Performing Arts. Making ends meet, she pulled pints at the Albion Hotel in Cottesloe. It was there she took a fancy to the bottle shop manager. The attraction was mutual, sparking a romance with Jonathan Mettam. During that “whirlwind” period, she landed a role as a director’s assistant at Today Tonight, where she also did some producing work. At just 22, she became a mum to Bianca, with baby number two, Sophia, following 16 months later. By then she and Jonathon were married and had upped sticks to Adelaide so he could complete his wine-making studies. She worked as a producer for A Current Affair there, with the couple juggling parenting duties. “It was a really challenging period, because we had two babies under two. I was working, ultimately, full time while he was looking after the kids and also studying. And I remember we really struggled to make ends meet,” Ms Mettam said. “I still can’t eat pumpkin soup to this day, because we had it that many different ways one week. I think it’s put me off for good. The big treat we had was like a hot dog on a Saturday. “Reflecting on that period, it was some of the best times that we’ve had as a little family. But I certainly can appreciate how difficult it is for many people across the State (struggling financially) at the moment.” The young family moved back to WA in 2003, planting roots in Dunsborough after Jonathan secured a good job at Wise Winery. Ms Mettam continued producing, this time for the ABC Radio in Bunbury. It was there that the political seed was planted, but the aim was to work for a pollie, not be one. “I had a lot to do with politicians that we’d call up for the programs and shows. We were always tackling different issues, but I found that you were touching on an issue and then basically leaving it ... I wanted to try and see how we can resolve issues, as opposed to just highlighting them all the time,” she said. By the time the Vasse by-election came around in October 2014, Ms Mettam was deeply active in the local community, with the Chamber of Commerce and doing publicity for the CinefestOZ film festival. She had to quickly get used to putting herself out front. “I’m quite shy, really,” she laughed. “In my media roles, I was interested in working behind the scenes, doing the producing and not really the stuff up front.” Her parents weren’t politically active, so what shaped her views? “I think the principles of the Liberal Party (appealed to me), which is if you work hard and want to get ahead, you should be able to have that opportunity to succeed,” she answered. “And rewarding initiative and individual enterprise.” In her maiden speech to Parliament, she said: “I support the fundamental principle that hard work, self-discipline and sacrifice can lead to success and good outcomes. There are no shortcuts.” Ms Mettam believes she inherited her own work ethic from her mum, who was also her biggest supporter on the hustings. She passed away in 2021. “She always did work very hard, and didn’t shy away from that.” Both her parents were “very grounded”. “(My dad’s) pretty positive and he has a very good sense of what’s important in life.” With it being vintage at her husband’s winery in Margaret River, “Metts” hasn’t been able to join her on the campaign trail. “I don’t call him Jon,” she said. “I introduce him as Jonathan to people, but I call him Metts. “He makes an amazing Margarita. He’s a winemaker, but he’s good with spirits as well. The election campaign has also thrown a spanner in her fitness regime. “My favourite thing to do on a weekend when I’m usually down south is this little jog to Castle Rock and back (to Dunsborough). “And I do that with headphones on. I think it’s about 9km. I’m the slowest runner in the whole world, but I don’t stop.” Midnight Oil’s 10 to 1 is one of her favourite albums to get the blood pumping. The Mettams are proud grandparents now, with daughter Bianca giving birth to baby Remi last year. Making every minute count is something Ms Mettam is used to, juggling work with family. “I’m usually chatting to one of my daughters when I’m putting on the make-up and speak to my husband, too. It’s a good time of the day to do it,” she said. “Bianca’s in her third-year medicine in Wollongong and Soph did economics. She now works in Sydney, but she’s coming back next week (to support her in the final days of the campaign).” Family time is the “ultimate sacrifice” for people in her position. “It’s that distracted time as well ... You can be very distracted and not as present as you’d like to be (with them),” Ms Mettam said. “(But) it’s a rewarding job. It’s a very important job, even if you’re the leader of the second party.” Her 76-year-old dad lives down south. “He has a great life down there,” she said. “He’s retired, but he drives a school bus and plays golf every day of the week.” The media picked up on the warmth and civility shown by Ms Mettam and Roger Cook towards each other in the moments before Monday’s debate. The Liberal leader said it wasn’t faked for the cameras. “Roger’s a decent person,” she said. “I don’t think there’s any gain for any party in the nasty attacks, you know, playing man instead of the ball? “It does take the attention away from what the policies are, what the priorities are. “ She didn’t hide her irritation at “dirt units” looking into backgrounds of her candidates’ pasts. Ms Mettam recalled a warm and amusing moment with Mark McGowan, when her mum wanted to meet him. Mr House said Ms Mettam was in politics for the right reasons, “to do the best for the community she lives in”. “She’s not a person who’s consumed with playing political games,” he said. “She’s a very upfront, straight-down-the-line sort of person who takes people at face value. She’s always pleasant. I’ve never seen her cross. “I think she’s grown enormously as a person and (as a political leader). What she’s achieving with limited resources is quite remarkable. “I think she would be a very compassionate, fair and yet firm-when-needed premier.”