| Post: | Premier |
| Body: | Western Australia |
| Insignia: | Western Australian Coat of Arms.svg |
| Insigniasize: | 120px |
| Insigniacaption: | Western Australian coat of arms |
| Flag: | Flag of Western Australia.svg |
| Flagsize: | 120px |
| Flagcaption: | Flag of Western Australia |
| Incumbent: | Roger Cook |
| Incumbentsince: | 8 June 2023 |
| Department: | Department of the Premier and Cabinet |
| Style: |
|
| Status: | Head of government |
| Reports To: | Parliament |
| Seat: | Dumas House, Perth |
| Appointer: | Governor of Western Australia |
| Appointer Qualified: | by convention, based on appointee's ability to command confidence in the Legislative Assembly |
| Termlength Qualified: | contingent on the premier's ability to command confidence in the lower house of Parliament |
| Formation: | 29 December 1890 |
| First: | John Forrest |
| Deputy: | Deputy Premier of Western Australia |
| Salary: | A$355,681[1] [2] |
| Website: | www.premier.wa.gov.au |
The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia.[3] 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.
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.[4] It was not until 3 April 1947 that the premier became one of the executive offices of the government.[5]
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.
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.
As of 2023, there have been 31 premiers of Western Australia.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8]
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.[9] The most recent premier to die is Ray O'Connor, who was premier from 1982 to 1983 and died in 2013.[10]
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.[11] He was released on parole after serving seven months.[12] In 1995, O'Connor served six months in jail for stealing a $25,000 cheque from the Bond Corporation during his time as premier.[13] [14] 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.[15]
| scope=col; rowspan="2" | scope=col; rowspan="2" | Portrait | scope=col; rowspan="2" | Name(Birth–death)Constituency | scope=col; rowspan="2" | Election | scope=colgroup; colspan="3" | Term of office | scope=col; rowspan="2" | Political party | scope=col; rowspan="2" | Ministry | scope=col; rowspan="2" | Monarch | scope=col; rowspan="2" | Governor | scope=col; rowspan="2" | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=col; | Took office | scope=col; | Left office | scope=col; | Time in office | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="4" | Sir John Forrest (1847–1918) MLA for Bunbury 1890–1901 | 1890 1894 1897 | 29 December 1890 | 14 February 1901 | 10 years,48 days | None | Forrest ministry | Victoria | Frederick Broome | [16] | ||||||||
| William Robinson | |||||||||||||||||||
| Gerard Smith | |||||||||||||||||||
| Edward VII | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | George Throssell (1840–1910) MLA for Northam 1890–1904 MLC for East Province 1907–1910 | 1901 | 14 February 1901 | 27 May 1901 | 101 days | None | Throssell ministry | [17] | ||||||||||
| Arthur Lawley | |||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | George Leake (1856–1902) MLA for Roebourne 1890 MLA for Albany 1894–1900 MLA for West Perth 1901–1902 | — | 27 May 1901 | 21 November 1901 | 178 days | None | First Leake ministry | [18] | ||||||||||
| 4 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | Alf Morgans (1850–1933) MLA for Coolgardie 1897–1904 | — | 21 November 1901 | 23 December 1901 | 32 days | None | Morgans ministry | [19] | ||||||||||
| (3) | scope=row style="text-align:center" | George Leake (1856–1902) MLA for Roebourne 1890 MLA for Albany 1894–1900 MLA for West Perth 1901–1902 | — | 23 December 1901 | 24 June 1902 | 190 days | None | Second Leake ministry | |||||||||||
| 5 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | Sir Walter James (1863–1943) MLA for East Perth 1894–1904 | — | 1 July 1902 | 10 August 1904 | 2 years,40 days | None | James ministry | [20] | ||||||||||
| Frederick Bedford | |||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | Henry Daglish (1866–1920) MLA for Subiaco 1901–1911 | 1904 | 10 August 1904 | 25 August 1905 | 1 year,15 days | Labor | Daglish ministry | [21] | ||||||||||
| 7 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | Sir Hector Rason (1858–1927) MLC for Swan 1889–1890 MLA for South Murchison 1897–1901 MLA for Guildford 1901–1906 | 1905 | 25 August 1905 | 7 May 1906 | 255 days | None | Rason ministry | [22] | ||||||||||
| 8 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="3" | Sir Newton Moore (1870–1936) MLA for Bunbury 1904–1911 | 1908 | 7 May 1906 | 16 September 1910 | 4 years,132 days | None | Moore ministry | [23] | ||||||||||
| Gerald Strickland | |||||||||||||||||||
| George V | |||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | Frank Wilson (1859–1918) MLA for Canning 1897–1901 MLA for Perth 1901 MLA for Sussex 1904–1917 | — | 16 September 1910 | 7 October 1911 | 1 year,21 days | None | First Wilson ministry | [24] | ||||||||||
| 10 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | John Scaddan (1876–1934) MLA for Ivanhoe 1904–1911 MLA for Brown Hill-Ivanhoe 1911–1916 1916–1917 MLA for Albany 1919–1924 MLA for Maylands 1930–1933 | 1911 1914 | 7 October 1911 | 27 July 1916 | 4 years,294 days | Labor | Scaddan ministry | [25] | ||||||||||
| Harry Barron | |||||||||||||||||||
| (9) | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | Frank Wilson (1859–1918) MLA for Canning 1897–1901 MLA for Perth 1901 MLA for Sussex 1904–1917 | — | 27 July 1916 | 28 June 1917 | 336 days | Liberal | Second Wilson ministry | |||||||||||
| William Ellison-Macartney | |||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | Sir Henry Lefroy (1854–1930) MLA for Moore 1892–1901 1911–1921 | 1917 | 28 June 1917 | 17 April 1919 | 1 year,293 days | Nationalist | Lefroy ministry | [26] | ||||||||||
| 12 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | Sir Hal Colebatch (1872–1953) MLC for East Province 1912–1923 MLC for Metropolitan Province (1940–1948) | — | 17 April 1919 | 17 May 1919 | 30 days | Nationalist | Colebatch ministry | [27] | ||||||||||
| 13 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | Sir James Mitchell (1866–1951) MLA for Northam 1905–1933 | 1921 | 17 May 1919 | 17 April 1924 | 4 years,335 days | Nationalist | First Mitchell ministry | [28] | ||||||||||
| Francis Newdegate | |||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | Philip Collier (1873–1948) MLA for Boulder 1905–1948 | 1924 1927 | 17 April 1924 | 24 April 1930 | 6 years,8 days | Labor | First Collier ministry | [29] | ||||||||||
| William Campion | |||||||||||||||||||
| (13) | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | Sir James Mitchell (1866–1951) MLA for Northam 1905–1933 | 1930 | 24 April 1930 | 26 April 1933 | 3 years | Nationalist | Second Mitchell ministry | |||||||||||
| None | |||||||||||||||||||
| (14) | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | Philip Collier (1873–1948) MLA for Boulder 1905–1948 | 1933 1936 | 26 April 1933 | 19 August 1936 | 3 years,118 days | Labor | Second Collier ministry | |||||||||||
| Edward VIII | |||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | John Willcock (1879–1947) MLA for Geraldton 1917–1947 | 1939 1943 | 19 August 1936 | 31 July 1945 | 8 years,345 days | Labor | Willcock ministry | [30] | ||||||||||
| George VI | |||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | Frank Wise (1897–1986) MLA for Gascoyne 1933–1951 | — | 31 July 1945 | 1 April 1947 | 1 year,244 days | Labor | Wise ministry | |||||||||||
| 17 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="4" | Sir Ross McLarty (1891–1962) MLA for Murray-Wellington 1930–1962 | 1947 1950 | 1 April 1947 | 23 February 1953 | 5 years,328 days | Liberal | McLarty–Watts ministry | [31] | ||||||||||
| James Mitchell | |||||||||||||||||||
| Charles Gairdner | |||||||||||||||||||
| Elizabeth II | |||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | Bert Hawke (1900–1986) MLA for Northam 1933–1968 | 1953 1956 | 23 February 1953 | 2 April 1959 | 6 years,37 days | Labor | Hawke ministry | [32] | ||||||||||
| 19 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="3" | Sir David Brand (1912–1979) MLA for Greenough 1945–1975 | 1959 1962 1965 1968 | 2 April 1959 | 3 March 1971 | 11 years,335 days | Liberal | Brand–Watts ministry | [33] | ||||||||||
| Brand–Nalder ministry | |||||||||||||||||||
| Douglas Kendrew | |||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | John Tonkin (1902–1995) MLA for North-East Fremantle 1933–1950 MLA for Melville 1950–1977 | 1971 | 3 March 1971 | 8 April 1974 | 3 years,66 days | Labor | Tonkin ministry | |||||||||||
| Hughie Edwards | |||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="4" | Sir Charles Court (1911–2007) MLA for Nedlands 1953–1982 | 1974 1977 1980 | 8 April 1974 | 25 January 1982 | 7 years,292 days | Liberal | Court–McPharlin ministry | |||||||||||
| Court ministry | |||||||||||||||||||
| Wallace Kyle | |||||||||||||||||||
| Richard Trowbridge | |||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | Ray O'Connor (1926–2013) MLA for North Perth 1959–1962 MLA for Mount Lawley 1962–1984 | — | 25 January 1982 | 25 February 1983 | 1 year,31 days | Liberal | O'Connor ministry | |||||||||||
| 23 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | Brian Burke (born 1947) MLA for Balcatta 1973–1974 1977–1983 MLA for Balga 1974–1977 1983–1988 | 1983 1986 | 25 February 1983 | 25 February 1988 | 5 years | Labor | Burke ministry | |||||||||||
| Gordon Reid | |||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | Peter Dowding (born 1943) MLC for North Province 1979–1986 MLA for Maylands 1986–1990 | 1989 | 25 February 1988 | 12 February 1990 | 1 year,352 days | Labor | Dowding ministry | |||||||||||
| None | |||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | Carmen Lawrence (born 1948) MLA for Subiaco 1986–1989 MLA for Glendalough 1989–1994 | — | 12 February 1990 | 16 February 1993 | 3 years,4 days | Labor | Lawrence ministry | |||||||||||
| Francis Burt | |||||||||||||||||||
| 26 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="3" | Richard Court (born 1947) MLA for Nedlands 1982–2001 | 1993 1996 | 16 February 1993 | 16 February 2001 | 7 years,360 days | Liberal | Court–Cowan ministry | |||||||||||
| Michael Jeffery | |||||||||||||||||||
| John Sanderson | |||||||||||||||||||
| 27 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" | Geoff Gallop (born 1951) MLA for Victoria Park 1986–2006 | 2001 2005 | 16 February 2001 | 25 January 2006 | 4 years,343 days | Labor | Gallop ministry | |||||||||||
| Ken Michael | |||||||||||||||||||
| 28 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | Alan Carpenter (born 1951) MLA for Willagee 1996–2009 | — | 25 January 2006 | 23 September 2008 | 2 years,242 days | Labor | Carpenter ministry | |||||||||||
| 29 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="3" | Colin Barnett (born 1950) MLA for Cottesloe 1990 – 2018 | 2008 2013 | 23 September 2008 | 17 March 2017 | 8 years,175 days | Liberal | Barnett ministry | |||||||||||
| Malcolm McCusker | |||||||||||||||||||
| Kerry Sanderson | |||||||||||||||||||
| 30 | scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan="5" | Mark McGowan (born 1967) MLA for Rockingham 1996–2023 | 2017 2021 | 17 March 2017 | 8 June 2023 | 6 years,83 days | Labor | First McGowan ministry | [34] | ||||||||||
| Kim Beazley | |||||||||||||||||||
| Second McGowan ministry | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chris Dawson | |||||||||||||||||||
| Charles III | |||||||||||||||||||
| 31 | scope=row style="text-align:center" | Roger Cook (born 1965) MLA for Kwinana 2008–present | — | 8 June 2023 | incumbent | Labor | Cook ministry | [35] |
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyPeriod = from:01/01/1890 till:30/11/2023TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:1890
Colors= id:canvas value:gray(0.5) id:LIB value:blue legend:Liberal id:NAT value:powderblue legend:Nationalist id:LWA value:skyblue legend:Liberal_(pre–1917) id:LAB value:red legend:Labor id:NO value:gray(0.6) legend:No_party
Legend = columns:3 left:150 top:50 columnwidth:200
TextData = pos:(20,55) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:"Political parties:"
BarData = bar:JohnForrest bar:GeorgeThrossell bar:GeorgeLeake bar:AlfMorgans bar:WalterJames bar:HenryDaglish bar:HectorRason bar:NewtonMoore bar:FrankWilson bar:JohnScaddan bar:HenryLefroy bar:HalColebatch bar:JamesMitchell bar:PhilipCollier bar:JohnWillcock bar:FrankWise bar:RossMcLarty bar:AlbertHawke bar:DavidBrand bar:JohnTonkin bar:CharlesCourt bar:RayO'Connor bar:BrianBurke bar:PeterDowding bar:CarmenLawrence bar:RichardCourt bar:GeoffGallop bar:AlanCarpenter bar:ColinBarnett bar:MarkMcGowan bar:RogerCook
PlotData = width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till bar:JohnForrest from:29/12/1890 till:14/02/1901 color:NO text:"John Forrest (1890–1901)" bar:GeorgeThrossell from:14/02/1901 till:27/05/1901 color:NO text:"George Throssell (1901)" bar:GeorgeLeake from:27/05/1901 till:21/11/1901 color:NO from:23/12/1901 till:24/06/1902 color:NO text:"George Leake (1901, 1901–1902)" bar:AlfMorgans from:21/11/1901 till:23/12/1901 color:NO text:"Alf Morgans (1901)" bar:WalterJames from:01/07/1902 till:10/08/1904 color:NO text:"Walter James (1902–1904)" bar:HenryDaglish from:10/08/1904 till:25/08/1905 color:LAB text:"Henry Daglish (1904–1905)" bar:HectorRason from:25/08/1905 till:07/05/1906 color:NO text:"Hector Rason (1905–1906)" bar:NewtonMoore from:07/05/1906 till:16/09/1910 color:NO text:"Newton Moore (1906–1910)" bar:FrankWilson from:16/09/1910 till:07/10/1911 color:NO from:27/07/1916 till:28/06/1917 color:LWA text:"Frank Wilson (1910–1911, 1916–1917)" bar:JohnScaddan from:07/10/1911 till:27/07/1916 color:LAB text:"John Scaddan (1911–1916)" bar:HenryLefroy from:28/06/1917 till:17/04/1919 color:NAT text:"Henry Lefroy (1917–1919)" bar:HalColebatch from:17/04/1919 till:17/05/1919 color:NAT text:"Hal Colebatch (1919)" bar:JamesMitchell from:17/05/1919 till:16/04/1924 color:NAT from:24/04/1930 till:24/04/1933 color:NAT text:"James Mitchell (1919–1924, 1930–1933)" bar:PhilipCollier from:16/04/1924 till:24/04/1930 color:LAB from:24/04/1933 till:19/08/1936 color:LAB text:"Philip Collier (1924–1930, 1933–1936)" bar:JohnWillcock from:20/08/1936 till:31/07/1945 color:LAB text:"John Willcock (1936–1945)" bar:FrankWise from:31/07/1945 till:01/04/1947 color:LAB text:"Frank Wise (1945–1947)" bar:RossMcLarty from:01/04/1947 till:23/02/1953 color:LIB text:"Ross McLarty (1947–1953)" bar:AlbertHawke from:23/02/1953 till:02/04/1959 color:LAB text:"Bert Hawke (1953–1959)" bar:DavidBrand from:02/04/1959 till:03/03/1971 color:LIB text:"David Brand (1959–1971)" bar:JohnTonkin from:03/03/1971 till:08/04/1974 color:LAB text:"John Tonkin (1971–1974)" bar:CharlesCourt from:08/04/1974 till:25/01/1982 color:LIB text:"Charles Court (1974–1982)" bar:RayO'Connor from:25/01/1982 till:25/02/1983 color:LIB text:"Ray O'Connor (1982–1983)" bar:BrianBurke from:25/02/1983 till:25/02/1988 color:LAB text:"Brian Burke (1983–1988)" bar:PeterDowding from:25/02/1988 till:12/02/1990 color:LAB text:"Peter Dowding (1988–1990)" bar:CarmenLawrence from:12/02/1990 till:16/02/1993 color:LAB text:"Carmen Lawrence (1990–1993)" bar:RichardCourt from:16/02/1993 till:10/02/2001 color:LIB text:"Richard Court (1993–2001)" bar:GeoffGallop from:10/02/2001 till:25/01/2006 color:LAB text:"Geoff Gallop (2001–2006)" bar:AlanCarpenter from:25/01/2006 till:23/09/2008 color:LAB text:"Alan Carpenter (2006–2008)" bar:ColinBarnett from:23/09/2008 till:17/03/2017 color:LIB text:"Colin Barnett (2008–2017)" bar:MarkMcGowan from:17/03/2017 till:08/06/2023 color:LAB text:"Mark McGowan (2017–2023)" bar:RogerCook from:08/06/2023 till:end color:LAB text:"Roger Cook (2023–present)"