Liberal leader Colin Barnett is at odds with his deputy...

Liberal leader Colin Barnett is at odds with his deputy Dan Sullivan over One Nation's push for a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty in WA [Western Australia].
A front-page article in the South Western Times reported that Sullivan, the member for Mitchell, had thrown his weight behind the referendum, saying West Australians had a right to vote on the issue.
Barnett said that Sullivan was only expressing a personal view in his own electorate.Sullivan said people were polarised over the death penalty. Like the abortion issue, it was not right for 91 MPs to make a decision on such a subjective matter on behalf of two million West Australians.
But Barnett said he did not see a lot of merit in holding a referendum.
Barnett said that if One Nation believed there should be a referendum they, like any other parliamentary party, could introduce a Bill into the Parliament where it would be fully debated.
"I know there are many people in the community who, like myself, are outraged when you get these very heinous, very cruel crimes," Barnett said.
"I have no sympathy for criminals who commit those types of crimes but at the same time I do not support the death penalty."
He said recent criminal cases in which the guilt of those convicted has been questioned were arguments against the death penalty.
"I think if you look at the very recent history in Western Australia, you've had the John Button case, the Darryl Beamish case, the Andrew Mallard case ... I think for those reasons as well you have to be very, very cautious," he said.
Beamish, a deaf mute, was condemned to death for the stabbing murder of Perth socialite Jillian Brewer but his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and he spent 15 years in jail.
Serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke confessed to the murder before he was hanged in 1964, but the court rejected his confession - as they did Cooke's confession to killing Rosemary Anderson.
Anderson's boyfriend, John Button, was convicted in 1963 of her manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years' jail. Button's conviction was quashed in February after fresh evidence found by journalist Estelle Blackburn proved he could not have been the killer.
"The death penalty was abolished in Western Australia many years ago. The debate can rage, I don't mind if people express opinions on it, but the reality is that the death penalty will not be reintroduced in Western Australia," Barnett said.
While Barnett openly opposes the death penalty, Sullivan refused to reveal how he would vote in a referendum.
"I'm not going to tell you my point of view," Mr Sullivan said.
The State Government opposes the reintroduction of the death penalty.