Last weekend's Labor state conference was one of the ugliest public displays of infighting within the WA party in recent memory.

It was the most blatant show of internal divisions within the ALP since an attempted coup against leader Mark McGowan by members of his own frontbench to replace him with someone not even in State Parliament — former federal minister Stephen Smith.

With tears, booing, heckling, abuse and walkouts — all before the TV cameras and in full view of federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese — it was a scene that had the WA Premier fuming and was condemned by senior party figures as everything from "embarrassing" to "disgraceful".

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 57 seconds 57 s Labor Party members walk out on Mark McGowan at the WA state conference

But somehow, Mr McGowan has sustained far less damage than had looked almost certain in the immediate fallout of the conference.

In fact, the Premier may have come out of the whole saga stronger, with his grip on the party looking tighter after internal rivals were left severely wounded.

Power balance quickly and dramatically shifts

It is a far cry from a week ago, when bitter critics of Mr McGowan displayed what looked like enormous power within Labor amid a chaotic weekend.

The Premier's support base comes from Labor's left faction, to which he has close ties.

When the rival Progressive Labor grouping — an amalgamation of right- and left-leaning unions which was formed two years ago to challenge the left faction power base — won the first vote at the conference, they looked to be calling the shots.

It appeared to undermine the Premier's control over his own party and showcase the great power of Mr McGowan's bitter rivals, such as Maritime Union boss Christy Cain.

But the next day the tide turned quickly and dramatically.

Christy Cain, the national president of the Maritime Union, is a key rival of Mr McGowan's. ( ABC News )

The left faction won the key votes on Sunday, indicating they were back in control, and Progressive Labor exploded in fury behind closed doors — storming out of the conference when one of those deliberations went against them.

That followed Saturday's walkout during a Welcome to Country ceremony and a boycott of the Premier's speech by sitting MPs — events that left several key people within the Progressive Labor faction embarrassed and bruised.

Right figure and Energy Minister Bill Johnston was blunt in his assessment: "The right of the Labor Party is the common sense side of the Labor Party and when common sense is abandoned you can't get good outcomes."

The death of Progressive Labor

Mr Johnston was not alone in that view and now the Progressive Labor grouping is widely considered dead, or at least awfully close to it, with previously key figures no longer wanting anything to do with it.

"It's pretty clear Progressive Labor has failed," one member said.

And the Premier is shaping as one of the biggest winners out of that.

Mark McGowan's authority was challenged at the conference, but his critics imploded. ( ABC News: Andrew O'Connor )

His critics and rivals have been bruised, while his allies in the left faction are back in a position of overwhelming dominance.

"The left is in a better position than it has been in for years," one Labor operative said.

And that could have massive consequences when it comes to matters such as preselecting candidates for the 2021 state election, a process due to start within months.

Members of the WA Labor Party vote on a motion at the state conference, which was marked by walkouts, booing and heckling. ( ABC News: Andrew O'Connor )

The resurgent left insists it wants to use its position to bring stability back to the party, even as members of the right faction blame their rivals for the recent infighting.

"This is the conference we had to have," one senior left figure said.

But Labor veterans may well laugh at the prospect of sustained and prolonged peace within their party, having seen plenty of civil wars erupt over the years.

Fast-moving news cycle shifts public attention

Mr McGowan's effort to shrug off the latest infighting was helped by a news cycle that moved on quickly.

There were sporting shocks like a costly West Coast Eagles loss and a dramatic Ashes Test result stealing the spotlight last weekend, before the voluntary assisted dying debate dominated the week at State Parliament.

But even the most ardent Labor supporters conceded the state conference embarrassment would leave the McGowan Government with a few bruises that would take time to heal.

The saga will make it harder for Mr McGowan to convince voters he leads a united team, in the face of footage of several Labor MPs boycotting their Premier's speech.

Ugly scenes of Indigenous leaders left confused and hurt as Labor members walked out during the Welcome to Country may well stick in the minds of voters.

Party president Carolyn Smith assuring Indigenous representatives at the conference that the walkout was not about them. ( ABC News: Andrew O'Connor )

Also unhelpful was two Labor MPs voting against a core Government policy to build a new port in Kwinana.

The public infighting was an unhelpful distraction for the Government, which has gone to great lengths over two-and-a-half years to portray itself as "getting on with the job".

But, as bitter as Labor's weekend war was, Mr McGowan can take comfort in knowing that the power dynamics within his own party look substantially less prickly for him now than they did just a week ago.