Premier of Western Australia
Premier of Western Australia | |
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Department of the Premier and Cabinet | |
Style |
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Status | Head of Government |
Member of |
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Reports to | Parliament |
Seat | Dumas House, Perth |
Appointer | Governor of Western Australia by convention, based on appointee's ability to command confidence in the Legislative Assembly |
Term length | At the Governor's pleasure contingent on the premier's ability to command confidence in the lower house of Parliament |
Constituting instrument | None (constitutional convention) |
Formation | 29 December 1890 |
First holder | John Forrest |
Deputy | Deputy Premier of Western Australia |
Salary | A$355,681 |
Website | www.premier.wa.gov.au |
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
No. | Portrait | Name Electoral district (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Election | Party | Ministry | Monarch | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Term start | Term end | Time in office | ||||||||
1 | Sir John Forrest MLA for Bunbury (1890–1901) |
29 December 1890 |
14 February 1901 |
10 years, 47 days | 1890 | None | Forrest | Victoria (1837–1901) Governor:
| ||
1894 | ||||||||||
1897 | ||||||||||
Edward VII (1901–1910) Governor:
| ||||||||||
2 | George Throssell MLA for Northam (1840–1910) |
14 February 1901 |
27 May 1901 |
102 days | — | None | Throssell | |||
1901 | ||||||||||
3 | George Leake MLA for West Perth (1856–1902) |
27 May 1901 |
21 November 1901 |
178 days | — | None | Leake I | |||
4 | Alf Morgans MLA for Coolgardie (1850–1933) |
21 November 1901 |
23 December 1901 |
32 days | — | None | Morgans | |||
(3) | George Leake MLA for West Perth (1856–1902) |
23 December 1901 |
24 June 1902 |
183 days | — | None | Leake II | |||
5 | Walter James MLA for East Perth (1863–1943) |
1 July 1902 |
10 August 1904 |
2 years, 40 days | — | None | James | |||
1904 | ||||||||||
6 | Henry Daglish MLA for Subiaco (1866–1920) |
10 August 1904 |
25 August 1905 |
1 year, 15 days | — | Labor | Daglish | |||
7 | Hector Rason MLA for Guildford (1858–1927) |
25 August 1905 |
7 May 1906 |
255 days | — | None | Rason | |||
1905 | ||||||||||
8 | Sir Newton Moore MLA for Bunbury (1870–1936) |
7 May 1906 |
16 September 1910 |
4 years, 132 days | — | None | Moore | |||
1908 | ||||||||||
George V (1910–1936) Governor:
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9 | Frank Wilson MLA for Sussex (1859–1918) |
16 September 1910 |
7 October 1911 |
1 year, 21 days | — | None | Wilson I | |||
10 | John Scaddan MLA for Brown Hill-Ivanhoe (1876–1934) |
7 October 1911 |
27 July 1916 |
4 years, 294 days | 1911 | Labor | Scaddan | |||
1914 | ||||||||||
(9) | Frank Wilson MLA for Sussex (1859–1918) |
27 July 1916 |
28 June 1917 |
336 days | — | Liberal | Wilson II | |||
11 | Sir Henry Lefroy MLA for Moore (1854–1930) |
28 June 1917 |
17 April 1919 |
1 year, 293 days | — | Nationalist | Lefroy | |||
1917 | ||||||||||
12 | Hal Colebatch MLC for East Province (1872–1953) |
17 April 1919 |
17 May 1919 |
30 days | — | Nationalist | Colebatch | |||
13 | James Mitchell MLA for Northam (1866–1951) |
17 May 1919 |
17 April 1924 |
4 years, 336 days | — | Nationalist | Mitchell I | |||
1921 | ||||||||||
14 | Philip Collier MLA for Boulder (1873–1948) |
17 April 1924 |
24 April 1930 |
6 years, 7 days | 1924 | Labor | Collier I | |||
1927 | ||||||||||
(13) | James Mitchell MLA for Northam (1866–1951) |
24 April 1930 |
26 April 1933 |
3 years, 2 days | 1930 | Nationalist | Mitchell II | |||
(14) | Philip Collier MLA for Boulder (1873–1948) |
26 April 1933 |
19 August 1936 |
3 years, 115 days | 1933 | Labor | Collier II | |||
Edward VIII (1936) | ||||||||||
1936 | ||||||||||
15 | John Willcock MLA for Geraldton (1879–1947) |
19 August 1936 |
31 July 1945 |
8 years, 346 days | — | Labor | Willcock | |||
George VI (1936–1952) Governor:
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1939 | ||||||||||
1943 | ||||||||||
16 | Frank Wise MLA for Gascoyne (1897–1986) |
31 July 1945 |
1 April 1947 |
1 year, 244 days | — | Labor | Wise | |||
17 | Sir Ross McLarty MLA for Murray-Wellington (1891–1962) |
1 April 1947 |
23 February 1953 |
5 years, 328 days | 1947 | Liberal | McLarty–Watts | |||
1950 | ||||||||||
Elizabeth II (1952–2022) Governor:
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18 | Bert Hawke MLA for Northam (1900–1986) |
23 February 1953 |
2 April 1959 |
6 years, 38 days | 1953 | Labor | Hawke | |||
1956 | ||||||||||
19 | Sir David Brand MLA for Greenough (1912–1979) |
2 April 1959 |
3 March 1971 |
11 years, 335 days | 1959 | Liberal | Brand–Watts | |||
Brand–Nalder | ||||||||||
1962 | ||||||||||
1965 | ||||||||||
1968 | ||||||||||
20 | John Tonkin MLA for Melville (1902–1995) |
3 March 1971 |
8 April 1974 |
3 years, 36 days | 1971 | Labor | Tonkin | |||
21 | Charles Court MLA for Nedlands (1911–2007) |
8 April 1974 |
25 January 1982 |
7 years, 292 days | 1974 | Liberal | Court–McPharlin | |||
Court | ||||||||||
1977 | ||||||||||
1980 | ||||||||||
22 | Ray O'Connor MLA for Mount Lawley (1926–2013) |
25 January 1982 |
25 February 1983 |
1 year, 31 days | — | Liberal | O'Connor | |||
23 | Brian Burke MLA for Balga (born 1947) |
25 February 1983 |
25 February 1988 |
5 years, 0 days | 1983 | Labor | Burke | |||
1986 | ||||||||||
24 | Peter Dowding MLA for Maylands (born 1943) |
25 February 1988 |
12 February 1990 |
1 year, 352 days | — | Labor | Dowding | |||
1989 | ||||||||||
25 | Carmen Lawrence MLA for Glendalough (born 1948) |
12 February 1990 |
16 February 1993 |
3 years, 4 days | — | Labor | Lawrence | |||
26 | Richard Court MLA for Nedlands (born 1947) |
16 February 1993 |
16 February 2001 |
8 years, 0 days | 1993 | Liberal | Court–Cowan | |||
1996 | ||||||||||
27 | Geoff Gallop MLA for Victoria Park (born 1951) |
16 February 2001 |
25 January 2006 |
4 years, 343 days | 2001 | Labor | Gallop | |||
2005 | ||||||||||
28 | Alan Carpenter MLA for Willagee (born 1951) |
25 January 2006 |
23 September 2008 |
2 years, 242 days | — | Labor | Carpenter | |||
29 | Colin Barnett MLA for Cottesloe (born 1950) |
23 September 2008 |
17 March 2017 |
8 years, 175 days | 2008 | Liberal | Barnett | |||
2013 | ||||||||||
30 | Mark McGowan MLA for Rockingham (born 1967) |
17 March 2017 |
8 June 2023 |
6 years, 83 days | 2017 | Labor | McGowan I | |||
2021 | McGowan II | |||||||||
Charles III (since 2022) Governor: | ||||||||||
31 | Roger Cook MLA for Kwinana (born 1965) |
8 June 2023 |
Incumbent | 283 days | — | Labor | Cook |