WA Premier Colin Barnett has defended comments in which he said a former Labor minister "gave up" over the Claremont serial killer case, comments the opposition has denounced as despicable.
After results of a survey on Monday showed many police felt the force was seriously under-resourced, Mr Barnett said there should be some focus on police successes such as the recent arrest of the alleged murderer, who struck in 1996 and 1997.
He also said former police minister and now opposition police spokeswoman Michelle Roberts "gave up" and criticised investigators while they persevered with the case, prompting Labor's Ben Wyatt to call the premier a "despicable little man".
Mr Barnett, who was referring to Ms Roberts telling the Seven Network in 2015 she didn't have confidence in the task force formed to find the killer, told reporters on Tuesday he was congratulating police for their tenacity over 20 years.
"In my view, our police do a very fine job in Western Australia and I drew attention, yes, to the arrest that's been made," Mr Barnett said.
"Yes ... I draw attention to the fact that Michelle Roberts had criticised police for their investigation.
"How wrong was she."
Mr Barnett said he was not surprised by Mr Wyatt's terminology, saying that was typical of the opposition.
He denied he owed the families of the victims an apology, adding he knew some of them personally.
Also on Monday, shadow attorney-general John Quigley appeared alongside Don Spiers, whose 18-year-old daughter Sarah was among the killer's victims, in a Nine News report.
Mr Quigley said proposed law reforms that would prevent convicted murderers from getting parole if they don't disclose the location of their victim's body would be swiftly introduced if Labor won the March state election.
Ms Spiers' body has not been found.
Her 67-year-old father paid tribute to the police who investigated the crime in Australia's longest-running and most expensive police probe.
Bradley Roberts Edwards, 48, has been charged over the murder of Jane Rimmer, 23, and Ciara Glennon, 27, and also two separate sex attacks, and will next face court on March 29.
