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Marketing guru steps away from Zempilas’ campaign after ‘deep regrets’ over Mettam polling conflict
By Hamish Hastie
The WA Liberals’ campaign digital marketing guru who was also campaign manager for Basil Zempilas has stepped down as the Perth Lord Mayor’s Churchlands campaign manager after it was revealed he facilitated polling that triggered a leadership challenge against Libby Mettam.
However, Sinclair will remain the party’s 2025 election campaign digital marketing boss despite Mettam requesting Liberal HQ reassess the contract.
WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam.Credit: Trevor Collens
Sinclair is a longtime Liberal party member and has run Zempilas’ Perth mayoral campaigns, was running his Churchlands campaign and runs Perth agency Ammo Marketing, which Liberal party HQ has contracted to provide digital marketing services during the election.
On Thursday he expressed “deep regret” for not alerting the party to his possible conflict of interest and confirmed that he had stepped aside from Zempilas’ campaign.
On Tuesday Sinclair confirmed Ammo facilitated the Sodali & Co polling on behalf of a mystery businessman. The polling suggested the WA Liberals’ primary vote would be about 7 per cent better at the March election if Zempilas was leader, compared to Mettam.
On Thursday morning an angry Mettam challenged her party to probe Sinclair’s contract after his admission.
Basil Zempilas and Ammo Marketing founder Cam Sinclair (right) during Zempilas’ Perth mayoral campaign in 2023.Credit: LinkedIn/Cam Sinclair
“I believe questions do need to be asked in relation to Cam Sinclair and the contract that he has with the Liberal Party, given his obvious involvement in this matter,” she said.
“The Liberal Party’s contract with Cam Sinclair sits with the state director. It is the Liberal Party and the state director that need to provide some assurance that, going forward, there is confidence in that contract.”
Liberal state director Simon Morgan told WAtoday he had discussed the issue with Sinclair who apologised and gave him an assurance he would discuss with him any actual or perceived conflicts that may arise in the future
Morgan said he had discussed these assurances with Mettam who said she accepted them.
In an email from Sinclair to Morgan he said he “deeply regret[s] and apologise for the error in judgement and failure to consider the conflict of interest in relation to the work Ammo was engaged to deliver and Ammo’s contract with the state election campaign.”
He told Morgan Ammo was no longer engaged by the client who commissioned the work.
“Through Ammo’s engagement with head office in the lead up to the state election, we are absolutely committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the WA Liberal Party, it’s leader Libby Mettam and candidates,” he said.
“I will undertake to discuss with you any actual or perceived conflicts that may arise in future.”
Following the unsuccessful leadership coup on Tuesday, Sinclair said he did not discuss the polling with Zempilas.
Zempilas also denied he had any knowledge of the poll or Sinclair’s involvement. The polling was handed to Mettam’s office earlier this month by the Liberals’ federal candidate for Forrest, Ben Small.
On Tuesday, Zempilas told media he had been given a name of the businessman who commissioned the poll and would consider discussing it with Mettam – “if she asks”.
Mettam said she asked Zempilas directly who the businessman was on Wednesday, but “it wasn’t forthcoming”.
“I note Basil stated … that he thinks he may know the individual or the businessman involved, and that if I asked him, he would provide that information,” she said.
“I asked him. He did not provide the information on who that individual is.”
Zempilas confirmed to this masthead Mettam asked him for the name but said he wasn’t sure it was the correct name.
“Libby’s right, she asked, and I said I’ve been told a name, but that I didn’t know for sure it was right and so it wasn’t wise to pass on,” he said.
When asked about her relationship with Zempilas after this week, Mettam said she had a working relationship with him.
“I can only take him at his word, which is that he’s 100 per cent in support of my leadership – that he has had no involvement in this amateurish campaign to unseat me, and that he has no interest in leadership going forward in the 2025 election,” she said.
Mettam challenged the businessman to come forward.
“There is still a businessman, a cowardly businessman hiding in the shadows, who is willing for Ben Small, Basil Zempilas and Cam Sinclair to wear the full brunt of this,” she said.
“What a coward, and I believe that individual should certainly come forward.”
Sinclair deferred questions to the WA Liberals, and the party was contacted for comment.
The polling surveyed more than 1000 respondents in target Liberal seats and suggested that Mettam leading the party to the next election would result in a 3 per cent swing away from the Liberals.
It suggested swapping her out with Zempilas would result in a 4 per cent swing towards the party, resulting in victories in Churchlands, Nedlands and Carine, and putting Bateman and Scarborough in striking distance.
Mettam challenged her parliamentary colleagues to trigger a motion of no confidence against her at a party meeting at Parliament House on Tuesday morning, which they did not do.
A motion to create dual leadership roles that would have seen Zempilas become “campaign leader” of the party in the lead-up to the 2025 election also failed, and Mettam declared she had a clear mandate of leadership.
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