West served as chairman of the Liberal Party's
Cleveland–
Ormiston branch. In parliament, West served on the Joint Statutory Committee on the
National Crime Authority and the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family and Community Affairs. According to
George Brandis, she supported the
Howard government's introduction of
goods and services tax (GST) despite the impact it was likely to have on her re-election campaign in a marginal seat. Con Sciacca reclaimed Bowman for the ALP at the
1998 federal election. After her defeat, West remained active in the Liberal Party. In 2000 she unsuccessfully sought
preselection for a
casual vacancy in the
Senate caused by the resignation of
Warwick Parer. ==Personal life==