The Premier Colin Barnett has indicated his government will take the stop and search laws to the next state election as a key issue.

The National Party yesterday announced they would vote with Labor and the Greens to block the bill in the Upper House.

It is a major blow to the government's tough on crime agenda and Mr Barnett says the bill will be put on hold until 2013.

Mr Barnett says he believes public support for the legislation will grow within the next two years.

"Unfortunately almost every weekend there are further cases of knife attacks, brawls admissions of people to Royal Perth hospital, late on a Friday night, late on a Saturday night; many of them coming from Northbridge but also other club and other entertainment areas," he said.

"All I want to do, all this government wants to do is make it safe."