The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role of the prime minister of Australia at a federal level. The premier leads the executive branch of the Government of Western Australia and is accountable to the Parliament of Western Australia. The premier is appointed by the governor of Western Australia. By convention, the governor appoints as premier whoever has the support of the majority of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of Western Australia. In practice, this means that the premier is the leader of the political party or group of parties with a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly. Since Western Australia achieved self-governance in 1890, there have been 31 premiers. Roger Cook is the current premier, having been appointed to the position on 8 June 2023.
History The position of premier is not mentioned in the constitution of Western Australia. From 1890 to 1917, the premier was not an official position, rather, it was the title unofficially given, but widely used to refer, to the head of the government. When Western Australia became a self-governing colony in 1890, Governor William Robinson initially indicated he would use the title prime minister to refer to the head of the government. However, after he appointed John Forrest, the title premier was used for consistency with the other Australian colonies. The position was first officially mentioned when the governor appointed Henry Lefroy as premier on 28 June 1917. However, when the governor designated and declared the six executive offices of the government on 2 July 1917, the position of premier was not listed, creating an ambiguity. It was not until 3 April 1947 that the premier became one of the executive offices of the government.
The most common cause for a change of premier is an election. Since the 1990s, elections have occurred roughly every four years. Before then, elections were at most three years apart, except for during World War II. A less common cause for a change of premier is the ruling party changing its leader. This can occur as a result of a resignation, death or leadership spill. In this case, the new premier is whoever the party elects as its new leader. Another cause for a change of premier is a loss of majority support in the Legislative Assembly. This commonly occurred in the first three decades of self-governance, but has not occurred since 1916. If this occurs, the premier must either resign or be dismissed by the governor.
Powers and function The powers of the premier are set out by convention and by legislation. By convention, the premier advises the Monarch of Australia as to who to appoint as governor. The premier advises the governor as to who to appoint to cabinet and which portfolios should be given to each cabinet minister. The premier sets out the responsibilities of ministers and the acts that they would administer. The premier leads the cabinet and chairs cabinet meetings. They communicate with the governor, the cabinet, the state government, other state and territory governments, the federal government, and overseas governments. The premier advises the governor on when state elections should be held. They oversee the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. While premier, they stay as a member of parliament and they retain their responsibility for representing their electoral district.
Characteristics As of 2023, there have been 31 premiers of Western Australia. Carmen Lawrence, who was appointed on 12 February 1990, is the first and only woman to be premier of Western Australia. She is also the first woman to be premier of an Australian state. By convention, the premier is a member of the Legislative Assembly. However, the premier can be a member of either house of parliament. Hal Colebatch is the only premier to be a member of the Legislative Council (upper house). He served for 30 days in 1919, making him the shortest serving premier of Western Australia. David Brand is the longest serving premier, serving for 11 years and 335 days between 1959 and 1971. The youngest premier is John Scaddan, who was 35 years, 2 months and 3 days old when he was sworn in in 1911. The oldest premier is John Tonkin, who was 69 years, 1 month and 1 day old when he was sworn in in 1971. Newton Moore became premier after two years in parliament, the least time aside from Forrest. Tonkin became premier after almost 38 years in parliament, the most time in parliament before becoming premier. The only father and son pair to have both been premier is Charles Court and his son Richard Court. George Leake, who died of pneumonia on 24 June 1902, is the only premier to have died in office. Moore, Philip Collier, John Willcock and Geoff Gallop are the only premiers to have resigned due to ill health.
Forrest, Colebatch and Lawrence are the only premiers to have served in the Parliament of Australia as well. Forrest and Lawrence are the only premiers to have been ministers in the Government of Australia as well. Moore is the only premier to have served in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The only premier to subsequently serve as governor is James Mitchell. George Leake, Frank Wilson, Phillip Collier and Mitchell are the only people to have been premier more than once. There are currently eight living former premiers. The most recent premier to die is Ray O'Connor, who was premier from 1982 to 1983 and died in 2013.
Two former premiers have been sentenced to jail. In 1994, Brian Burke was sentenced to two years in jail for defrauding the state by $17,000 by making false claims on the parliamentary imprest account. He was released on parole after serving seven months. In 1995, O'Connor served six months in jail for stealing a $25,000 cheque from the Bond Corporation during his time as premier. In 1997, Burke was sentenced to three years jail for stealing $122,585 in Labor Party campaign donations. He served six months before this conviction was quashed upon appeal.
List of premiers of Western Australia
PortraitName(Birth–death)ConstituencyElectionTerm of officePolitical partyMinistryMonarchGovernorTook officeLeft officeTime in office1Sir John Forrest(1847–1918)MLA for Bunbury1890–190118901894189729 December 189014 February 190110 years,48 daysNoneForrest ministryVictoriaFrederick BroomeWilliam RobinsonGerard SmithEdward VII2George Throssell(1840–1910)MLA for Northam1890–1904MLC for East Province1907–1910190114 February 190127 May 1901101 daysNoneThrossell ministryArthur Lawley3George Leake(1856–1902)MLA for Roebourne1890MLA for Albany1894–1900MLA for West Perth1901–1902—27 May 190121 November 1901178 daysNoneFirst Leake ministry4Alf Morgans(1850–1933)MLA for Coolgardie1897–1904—21 November 190123 December 190132 daysNoneMorgans ministry(3)George Leake(1856–1902)MLA for Roebourne1890MLA for Albany1894–1900MLA for West Perth1901–1902—23 December 190124 June 1902190 daysNoneSecond Leake ministry5Sir Walter James(1863–1943)MLA for East Perth1894–1904—1 July 190210 August 19042 years,40 daysNoneJames ministryFrederick Bedford6Henry Daglish(1866–1920)MLA for Subiaco1901–1911190410 August 190425 August 19051 year,15 daysLaborDaglish ministry7Sir Hector Rason(1858–1927)MLC for Swan1889–1890MLA for South Murchison1897–1901MLA for Guildford1901–1906190525 August 19057 May 1906255 daysNoneRason ministry8Sir Newton Moore(1870–1936)MLA for Bunbury1904–191119087 May 190616 September 19104 years,132 daysNoneMoore ministryGerald StricklandGeorge V9Frank Wilson(1859–1918)MLA for Canning1897–1901MLA for Perth1901MLA for Sussex1904–1917—16 September 19107 October 19111 year,21 daysNoneFirst Wilson ministry10John Scaddan(1876–1934)MLA for Ivanhoe1904–1911 MLA for Brown Hill-Ivanhoe1911–19161916–1917MLA for Albany1919–1924MLA for Maylands1930–1933191119147 October 191127 July 19164 years,294 daysLaborScaddan ministryHarry Barron(9)Frank Wilson(1859–1918)MLA for Canning1897–1901MLA for Perth1901MLA for Sussex1904–1917—27 July 191628 June 1917336 daysLiberalSecond Wilson ministryWilliam Ellison-Macartney11Sir Henry Lefroy(1854–1930)MLA for Moore1892–19011911–1921191728 June 191717 April 19191 year,293 daysNationalistLefroy ministry12Sir Hal Colebatch(1872–1953)MLC for East Province1912–1923MLC for Metropolitan Province(1940–1948)—17 April 191917 May 191930 daysNationalistColebatch ministry13Sir James Mitchell(1866–1951)MLA for Northam1905–1933192117 May 191917 April 19244 years,335 daysNationalistFirst Mitchell ministryFrancis Newdegate14Philip Collier(1873–1948)MLA for Boulder1905–19481924192717 April 192424 April 19306 years,8 daysLaborFirst Collier ministryWilliam Campion(13)Sir James Mitchell(1866–1951)MLA for Northam1905–1933193024 April 193026 April 19333 yearsNationalistSecond Mitchell ministryNone(14)Philip Collier(1873–1948)MLA for Boulder1905–19481933193626 April 193319 August 19363 years,118 daysLaborSecond Collier ministryEdward VIII15John Willcock(1879–1947)MLA for Geraldton1917–19471939194319 August 193631 July 19458 years,345 daysLaborWillcock ministryGeorge VI16Frank Wise(1897–1986)MLA for Gascoyne1933–1951—31 July 19451 April 19471 year,244 daysLaborWise ministry17Sir Ross McLarty(1891–1962)MLA for Murray-Wellington1930–1962194719501 April 194723 February 19535 years,328 daysLiberalMcLarty–Watts ministryJames MitchellCharles GairdnerElizabeth II18Bert Hawke(1900–1986)MLA for Northam1933–19681953195623 February 19532 April 19596 years,37 daysLaborHawke ministry19Sir David Brand(1912–1979)MLA for Greenough1945–197519591962196519682 April 19593 March 197111 years,335 daysLiberalBrand–Watts ministryBrand–Nalder ministryDouglas Kendrew20John Tonkin(1902–1995)MLA for North-East Fremantle1933–1950MLA for Melville1950–197719713 March 19718 April 19743 years,66 daysLaborTonkin ministryHughie Edwards21Sir Charles Court(1911–2007)MLA for Nedlands1953–19821974197719808 April 197425 January 19827 years,292 daysLiberalCourt–McPharlin ministryCourt ministryWallace KyleRichard Trowbridge22 Ray O'Connor(1926–2013)MLA for North Perth1959–1962MLA for Mount Lawley1962–1984—25 January 198225 February 19831 year,31 daysLiberalO'Connor ministry23Brian Burke(born 1947)MLA for Balcatta1973–19741977–1983MLA for Balga1974–19771983–1988 1983198625 February 198325 February 19885 yearsLaborBurke ministryGordon Reid24Peter Dowding(born 1943)MLC for North Province1979–1986MLA for Maylands1986–1990198925 February 198812 February 19901 year,352 daysLaborDowding ministryNone25Carmen Lawrence(born 1948)MLA for Subiaco1986–1989MLA for Glendalough1989–1994—12 February 199016 February 19933 years,4 daysLaborLawrence ministryFrancis Burt26Richard Court(born 1947)MLA for Nedlands1982–20011993199616 February 199316 February 20017 years,360 daysLiberalCourt–Cowan ministryMichael JefferyJohn Sanderson27Geoff Gallop(born 1951)MLA for Victoria Park1986–20062001200516 February 200125 January 20064 years,343 daysLaborGallop ministryKen Michael28Alan Carpenter(born 1951)MLA for Willagee1996–2009—25 January 200623 September 20082 years,242 daysLaborCarpenter ministry29Colin Barnett(born 1950)MLA for Cottesloe1990 – 20182008201323 September 200817 March 20178 years,175 daysLiberalBarnett ministryMalcolm McCuskerKerry Sanderson30Mark McGowan(born 1967)MLA for Rockingham1996–20232017202117 March 20178 June 20236 years,83 daysLaborFirst McGowan ministryKim BeazleySecond McGowan ministryChris DawsonCharles III31Roger Cook(born 1965)MLA for Kwinana2008–present20258 June 2023incumbentLaborCook ministry
Graphical timeline
References
Bibliography