Premier of Western Australia
Western Australian Coat of Arms
Flag of Western Australia
Incumbent Roger Cook since 8 June 2023
Department of the Premier and Cabinet
Style	The Honourable (formal) Premier (informal)
Status	Head of Government
Member of	Parliament National Cabinet Cabinet Executive Council
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[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.

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.^[3][4] 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.^[3][5] 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.^[3][4][6] It was not until 3 April 1947 that the premier became one of the executive offices of the government.^[3][4][7]

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.^[8]

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.^[3]

Characteristics

As of 2023, there have been 31 premiers of Western Australia.^[9] 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.^[3][10] 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.^[3][11] David Brand is the longest serving premier, serving for 11 years and 335 days between 1959 and 1971.^[3][12] The youngest premier is John Scaddan, who was 35 years, 2 months and 3 days old when he was sworn in in 1911.^[3][13] The oldest premier is John Tonkin, who was 69 years, 1 month and 1 day old when he was sworn in in 1971.^[3][14] 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.^[15] 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.^[3][15] Moore, Philip Collier, John Willcock and Geoff Gallop are the only premiers to have resigned due to ill health.^[11][16]

Forrest, Colebatch and Lawrence are the only premiers to have served in the Parliament of Australia as well.^[17] 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.^[18] The only premier to subsequently serve as governor is James Mitchell.^[3] George Leake, Frank Wilson, Phillip Collier and Mitchell are the only people to have been premier more than once.^[12] There are currently eight living former premiers.^[19] The most recent premier to die is Ray O'Connor, who was premier from 1982 to 1983 and died in 2013.^[20][21]

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.^[22] He was released on parole after serving seven months.^[23] In 1995, O'Connor served six months in jail for stealing a $25,000 cheque from the Bond Corporation during his time as premier.^[21][24] 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.^[23][25]

List of premiers of Western Australia

No.	Portrait	Name Electoral district (Birth–Death)	Term of office[12]			Election	Party[26]		Ministry	Monarch
			Term start	Term end	Time in office
1		Sir John Forrest MLA for Bunbury (1890–1901) [12][27]	29 December 1890	14 February 1901	10 years, 47 days	1890		None	Forrest	Victoria (1837–1901) Governor: Sir William Robinson (1890–1895) Sir Gerard Smith (from 1895)
						1894
						1897
										Edward VII (1901–1910) Governor: Sir Gerard Smith (until 1901) Sir Arthur Lawley (1901–1903) Sir Frederick Bedford (1903–1909) Sir Gerald Strickland (from 1909)
2		George Throssell MLA for Northam (1840–1910) [12][28]	14 February 1901	27 May 1901	102 days	—		None	Throssell
						1901
3		George Leake MLA for West Perth (1856–1902) [12][29]	27 May 1901	21 November 1901	178 days	—		None	Leake I
4		Alf Morgans MLA for Coolgardie (1850–1933) [12][30]	21 November 1901	23 December 1901	32 days	—		None	Morgans
(3)		George Leake MLA for West Perth (1856–1902) [12]	23 December 1901	24 June 1902	183 days	—		None	Leake II
5		Walter James MLA for East Perth (1863–1943) [12][31]	1 July 1902	10 August 1904	2 years, 40 days	—		None	James
						1904
6		Henry Daglish MLA for Subiaco (1866–1920) [12][32]	10 August 1904	25 August 1905	1 year, 15 days	—		Labor	Daglish
7		Hector Rason MLA for Guildford (1858–1927) [12][33]	25 August 1905	7 May 1906	255 days	—		None	Rason
						1905
8		Sir Newton Moore MLA for Bunbury (1870–1936) [12][34]	7 May 1906	16 September 1910	4 years, 132 days	—		None	Moore
						1908
										George V (1910–1936) Governor: Sir Gerald Strickland (until 1913) Sir Harry Barron (1913–1917) Sir William Ellison-Macartney (1917–1920) Sir Francis Newdegate (1920–1924) Sir William Campion (1924–1931)
9		Frank Wilson MLA for Sussex (1859–1918) [12][35]	16 September 1910	7 October 1911	1 year, 21 days	—		None	Wilson I
10		John Scaddan MLA for Brown Hill-Ivanhoe (1876–1934) [12][36]	7 October 1911	27 July 1916	4 years, 294 days	1911		Labor	Scaddan
						1914
(9)		Frank Wilson MLA for Sussex (1859–1918) [12][35]	27 July 1916	28 June 1917	336 days	—		Liberal	Wilson II
11		Sir Henry Lefroy MLA for Moore (1854–1930) [12][37]	28 June 1917	17 April 1919	1 year, 293 days	—		Nationalist	Lefroy
						1917
12		Hal Colebatch MLC for East Province (1872–1953) [12][38]	17 April 1919	17 May 1919	30 days	—		Nationalist	Colebatch
13		James Mitchell MLA for Northam (1866–1951) [12][39]	17 May 1919	17 April 1924	4 years, 336 days	—		Nationalist	Mitchell I
						1921
14		Philip Collier MLA for Boulder (1873–1948) [12][40]	17 April 1924	24 April 1930	6 years, 7 days	1924		Labor	Collier I
						1927
(13)		James Mitchell MLA for Northam (1866–1951) [12][39]	24 April 1930	26 April 1933	3 years, 2 days	1930		Nationalist	Mitchell II
(14)		Philip Collier MLA for Boulder (1873–1948) [12][40]	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) [12][41]	19 August 1936	31 July 1945	8 years, 346 days	—		Labor	Willcock
										George VI (1936–1952) Governor: Sir James Mitchell (1948–1951) Sir Charles Gairdner (from 1951)
						1939
						1943
16		Frank Wise MLA for Gascoyne (1897–1986) [12]	31 July 1945	1 April 1947	1 year, 244 days	—		Labor	Wise
17		Sir Ross McLarty MLA for Murray-Wellington (1891–1962) [12][42]	1 April 1947	23 February 1953	5 years, 328 days	1947		Liberal	McLarty–Watts
						1950
										Elizabeth II (1952–2022) Governor: Sir Charles Gairdner (until 1963) Sir Douglas Kendrew (1963–1974) Sir Hughie Edwards (1974–1975) Sir Wallace Kyle (1975–1980) Sir Richard Trowbridge (1980–1983) Gordon Reid (1984–1989) Sir Francis Burt (1990–1993) Michael Jeffery (1993–2000) John Sanderson (2000–2005) Ken Michael (2006–2011) Malcolm McCusker (2011–2014) Kerry Sanderson (2014–2018) Kim Beazley (2018–2022) Chris Dawson (from 2022)
18		Bert Hawke MLA for Northam (1900–1986) [12][43]	23 February 1953	2 April 1959	6 years, 38 days	1953		Labor	Hawke
						1956
19		Sir David Brand MLA for Greenough (1912–1979) [12][44]	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) [12]	3 March 1971	8 April 1974	3 years, 36 days	1971		Labor	Tonkin
21		Charles Court MLA for Nedlands (1911–2007) [12]	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) [12]	25 January 1982	25 February 1983	1 year, 31 days	—		Liberal	O'Connor
23		Brian Burke MLA for Balga (born 1947) [12]	25 February 1983	25 February 1988	5 years, 0 days	1983		Labor	Burke
						1986
24		Peter Dowding MLA for Maylands (born 1943) [12]	25 February 1988	12 February 1990	1 year, 352 days	—		Labor	Dowding
						1989
25		Carmen Lawrence MLA for Glendalough (born 1948) [12]	12 February 1990	16 February 1993	3 years, 4 days	—		Labor	Lawrence
26		Richard Court MLA for Nedlands (born 1947) [12]	16 February 1993	16 February 2001	8 years, 0 days	1993		Liberal	Court–Cowan
						1996
27		Geoff Gallop MLA for Victoria Park (born 1951) [12]	16 February 2001	25 January 2006	4 years, 343 days	2001		Labor	Gallop
						2005
28		Alan Carpenter MLA for Willagee (born 1951) [12]	25 January 2006	23 September 2008	2 years, 242 days	—		Labor	Carpenter
29		Colin Barnett MLA for Cottesloe (born 1950) [12]	23 September 2008	17 March 2017	8 years, 175 days	2008		Liberal	Barnett
						2013
30		Colin Barnett MLA for Rockingham (born 1967) [45]	17 March 2017	8 June 2023	6 years, 83 days	2017		Labor	McGowan I
						2021			McGowan II
										Charles III (since 2022) Governor: Chris Dawson
31		Roger Cook MLA for Kwinana (born 1965) [46]	8 June 2023	Incumbent	268 days	—		Labor	Cook

Graphical timeline