West Australian Treasurer Mike Nahan has dismissed a property developer's claims he sought a leadership spill against Premier Colin Barnett as bizarre, absurd and without substance.
Nigel Satterley said on Sunday that Dr Nahan planned to call for a leadership spill as soon as Tuesday, pushing to replace the Liberal leader with Corrective Services Minister Joe Francis.
But by Monday morning, Mr Satterley said the plan had been aborted after "sensible people brought it into the open".
He still claimed Dr Nahan had been "sneaking around the back door against Mr Barnett" and also admitted he was annoyed the treasurer didn't roll back land tax increases in last week's debt-laden state budget.
"We're not happy but the peak bodies will speak out about that today," Mr Satterley told ABC radio.
"We don't like people that sneak around the back to try to do things to undermine a man that's trying to do a job in difficult conditions."
Mr Satterley also accused Dr Nahan of having "a dust-up" with fellow Liberal MP Nigel Hallett outside parliament in March, which the treasurer flatly denies.
Dr Nahan admitted he had a "frosty relationship" with Mr Hallett, who had complained to him about land tax during a terse two-minute exchange.
"I walked away. It was 11.30 at night. People talk to me roughly all the time. No dust up."
Dr Nahan said it was "bizarre" that a successful businessman like Mr Satterley would "put himself up as the saviour of Colin Barnett", trying to dabble in politics "about the tax he has to pay".
"Colin and I go way back ... and I am one of his strongest supporters," the treasurer said.
"The idea that I was going to put a spill on Tuesday is simply absurd, without substance.
"It's not going to happen tomorrow because it was never going to happen."
Deputy Premier Liza Harvey backed Dr Nahan in saying there was no groundswell against Mr Barnett.
"I don't believe that people are talking about that at the moment, except Nigel (Satterley)," Ms Harvey said.
"There was no story there."
Mr Barnett, who says he won't serve a full term if he's re-elected in March next year, has fared poorly in opinion polls this year.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was asked at a press conference in Perth on Monday whether Mr Barnett had been invited to join him, but only responded he was visiting to make "a national announcement".
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