West Australian police minister Liza Harvey has been elected unopposed by her party colleagues as the state's deputy premier after more than a year of speculation she would be elevated to the role.
Ms Harvey will replace Kim Hames, the state health minister, who late last year announced he would step down from the deputy role ahead of retiring at the March 2017 election.
Ms Harvey, also the minister for road safety, women's interests, training and workplace development, was elected to parliament in 2008 and promoted to cabinet in 2012.
She told reporters she was happy to have been elected unopposed and wouldn't have imagined when she was first elected that she would make it this far, "not in a million years".
"I didn't have very high expectations that I would actually succeed in winning that seat of Scarborough, so I've had the most amazing career already.
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"As minister for women's interests, I'm very pleased to see a female in this role."
Ms Harvey said she hoped to retain her broad spread of portfolios when a cabinet reshuffle is announced in coming months.
"Yes, I would prefer to keep my portfolios but ultimately that's a discussion I'll have with the premier in due course."
Premier Colin Barnett said she was the first woman to hold the position of deputy leader in the history of the WA Liberals.
"I think it's a great moment for the Liberal party," Mr Barnett said.
Opposition leader Mark McGowan congratulated Ms Harvey but at the same time said her promotion reflected "a lack of talent" in the party.
"We've seen an unprecedented increase in crime across the suburbs and towns, yet the Liberal party is about to promote the minister on who's watch it occurred," Mr McGowan said.
"Liza Harvey hasn't delivered in police or training and therefore I think promoting her is just a sign of the arrogance of the government and a lack of depth."
