At the WA National Party's annual conference in Carnarvon on Saturday, a motion was put forward that the party gives in principle support to the introduction of a market-based carbon price.
President Colin Holt said the conference decided to refer it to the state executive who would discuss it further in about three weeks.
"We've decided to lay it on the table and we'll deal with it when we get a bit more information," Mr Holt said on Sunday.
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The decision opens up the possibility for the WA Nationals to further distance themselves from the federal Nationals who are vehemently opposed to Prime Minister Julia Gillard's proposed carbon price.
The WA Nationals' only federal MP Tony Crook said although he would be influenced by the party's decision he was wary of the possible adverse impacts on regional areas.
Mr Crook, who does believe in man-made climate change, said the government's proposed carbon tax would disadvantage Australian industries competing in world markets.
"It's like two teams playing a game of football and one team kicks a 10 goal lead the whole time - against international competitors, we're going to be disadvantaged," he said.
"Unless the government is going to do something about tariffs and things like that for imports, it's a totally unfair system."
However, the former farmer was more open to a market-based mechanism such as an emissions trading scheme for pricing carbon.
WA Nationals state upper house MP Mia Davies said debate over the issue at the conference demonstrated the party was a "broad church which has varying different opinions".
But Ms Davies said on the issue of a carbon price she is guided by her electorate, which takes in WA's agricultural region.
"In my job I try very hard to reflect the desires of my constituents and it's very clear from travelling around that there's considerable angst about participating in a market scheme of any kind or putting a tax on carbon," she said.
Fellow upper house MP Phil Gardiner, whose party branch in Moora put forward the carbon price motion, has strongly advocated an emissions trading scheme as the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr Gardiner believes every household and business should be held accountable for their emissions.
