WA Nationals leader Shane Love has denied the alliance with the Liberal Party is at risk of collapsing after an MP clashed with WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam and refused to sit in joint partyroom meetings.

During an email exchange, Nationals MP Martin Aldridge suggested the alliance was “untenable”, after Ms Mettam held a media conference with former Nationals MP Merome Beard on February 22.

The issue was the patient assisted travel scheme, which provides funds for regional residents who need to travel for medical procedures.

Mr Aldridge, who had been focusing on the issue as shadow minister for regional health, referred to it as a “media stunt” in an email.

The legislative council member did not want to be interviewed and referred inquiries to opposition leader and WA Nationals leader Mr Love, who has played down the spat.

Tensions come to the fore

“The alliance is working well and has worked well over the last three years to keep the Labor government to account,” Mr Love said.

“What we have now is a situation where we’re heading towards an election, about a year away, and the competitive tensions between the two groups begin to come to the fore.

“Which is why there does need to be an agreement around the conduct of the next election, something that was anticipated when the alliance was first signed.”