Embattled Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi could be sacked under plans to target her retrospectively with new laws that will enable the WA government to dump individual councillors for acting improperly.
Ms Scaffidi agreed in September to stand down pending an appeal against her 18-month disqualification for failing to disclose gifts and accommodation.
Premier Mark McGowan, who has repeatedly demanded Ms Scaffidi quit, says legislation is being drafted so Ms Scaffidi can be dismissed retrospectively.
"There's been some complications around that, but that's my expectation," he said on Thursday.
The government can currently only fire an entire council, but Mr McGowan says new legislation will be introduced in parliament this year.
Opposition spokesman Tony Krsticevic said the Liberals would support it, but warned backdating legislation was "always dangerous" and the sector should be consulted.
"I don't think anybody disagrees with the fact that Lisa Scaffidi needs to move on," he said.
"She really should make that decision herself. I don't think that this is the way to do it."
The State Administrative Tribunal found Ms Scaffidi breached the Local Government Act 45 times by failing to disclose gifts, including a $US24,000 BHP Billiton-funded package to the Beijing Olympics.
Mr McGowan said appointing Jemma Green deputy mayor - and now acting lord mayor - was an improvement and Ms Scaffidi's return would be untenable.
"I think it would just be embarrassing for the city. It would be unworkable, it would be dysfunctional and I think it's time everyone, including her, move on."
Ms Scaffidi claims Labor has been running a four-year campaign against her, but the premier says that is "beyond ludicrous".
"The idea that somehow there is some sort of conspiracy by the Labor party against her when the Liberal party has come and said she should resign, when everybody in the community says she should resign, is just fanciful," he said.
Ms Scaffidi posted on Twitter: "Even my most ardent critic must recognise the fact that the Labor government's willingness to move the goal posts, so as to take my fate out of the hands of the courts and put it in the hands of their minister, is clear evidence of their political interference.
"It is one thing to change the law going forward, but it is an entirely different thing to change the law and apply it retrospectively."
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