WESTERN Australia's National party has chosen a new leader to replace Brendon Grylls, with Terry Redman to succeed him as widely expected.
Mr Grylls, 40, announced his decision to step down as party leader and also as regional development minister over the weekend, but will remain MP for the Pilbara region.
He leaves big shoes to fill, having leveraged the balance of power held by the Nationals after the 2008 elections to cement the Royalties for Regions program, which he says he's "damn proud of".
On Tuesday, the Nationals held a party meeting and appointed Mr Redman, WA's minister for water, forestry, training and workforce development, as Mr Grylls' replacement.
Mr Redman, aged 50 and formerly the minister for agriculture, paid tribute to his former leader in parliament, saying he'd made an outstanding contribution to the Nationals.
Separately on Tuesday, the state opposition pounced on a comment by Liberal backbencher Murray Cowper, who said the regional development portfolio should go to his party.
Mr Cowper, the member for Murray-Wellington immediately south of Perth, said the Nationals shouldn't hold the portfolio as they had been porkbarrelling the electorates of the Pilbara and the Kimberley with Royalties for Regions funds.
He said there had been an unfair distribution of the funds, with his electorate getting far less per person than the state's northern regions, despite it producing a large chunk of the state's food, including beef and dairy.
"It's indefensible in my mind ... there needs to be an explanation why there is such a disparity," he told AAP.
Responding to Mr Grylls' argument that investment in amenities in the Pilbara was long overdue, Mr Cowper said there were plenty of worthy projects in his electorate, adding he'd be neglecting his duty if he didn't push for its interests.
Premier Colin Barnett said on Monday he wanted a minimal cabinet reshuffle with the departure of Mr Grylls.
While the Nationals will keep all three of their cabinet seats, the allocation of portfolios is a decision for the premier.
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