Roger Cook set to replace Mark McGowan as WA premier after day of Labor-Left tumult

The long-serving WA Labor deputy will become the state’s next premier after an extraordinary day of political backroom dealings.

AMWU-aligned MPs said they want to see WA Health Minister Roger Cook appointed premier with the Right’s Rita Saffioti as his deputy.

Long-serving WA Labor deputy Roger Cook will become the state’s next premier after an ­extraordinary day of backroom dealings.

Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson appeared to have all but locked up the top job earlier on Tuesday, after the influential United Workers Union-backed MPs endorsed her over another of their own in Mr Cook.

But a sensational split in the party’s left faction turned the race on its head.

A meeting of Labor MPs aligned with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union on Tuesday afternoon unanimously decided to back Mr Cook instead of Ms Sanderson.

The UWU and AMWU-backed candidates together make up the party’s dominant left faction, but the split meant the party’s minority right faction was able to help shape who became premier and deputy premier.

The AMWU-aligned MPs said they wanted to see Mr Cook appointed premier with the Right’s Rita Saffioti as his deputy

The prospects of Mr Cook, the deputy Labor leader for 15 years, had appeared grim earlier in the day. One source close to the situation said before the AMWU meeting that Ms Sanderson’s ­endorsement was expected to be a formality, given the consequences that could flow from a split in the left. “They would be tearing apart the government for someone who is not even one of theirs,” the source said. “They would have to think (Mr Cook) is the greatest leader of our time to do that.”

Late on Tuesday, Ms Sanderson announced she would be withdrawing from the race. “As I said this morning I was going to talk to my colleagues,” Ms Sanderson said in a statement.

“I have done that and in the interests of unity and stability I will not be putting myself forward. I have acted with integrity and ­respect for my colleagues and the process, and I look forward to working with the new leadership team.”

Amber-Jade Sanderson withdrew from the Labor leadership race on Tuesday evening.

Labor had hoped to avoid a protracted battle that would have followed a contest for the leadership. Under Labor Party rules introduced after the tumultuous Rudd-Gillard years, the running of multiple candidates would trigger a lengthy process under which lay party members would also cast a vote for their preferred leader. Such a process would have taken at least four weeks to administer.

Ms Saffioti, the Transport Minister who is factionally unaligned, had announced on Monday that she was talking to colleagues about the leadership but on Tuesday agreed to join Mr Cook’s ticket as his deputy.

AMWU-aligned MPs Stephen Dawson and David Templeman said after their meeting that Mr Cook had long been part of Labor’s leadership team.

“Certainly, one of our strengths as a government has been how we dealt with Covid-19. Roger, of course, was a big part of that work,” Mr Templeman said.

“I think the community recognises and knows Roger and our team think he would be the best person to lead us moving forward.”

Mr Cook has made it clear that he sees himself as a means of ensuring “continuity” after Mark McGowan’s departure.

Both he and Ms Saffioti have deeper ministerial experience and economic credentials than Ms Sanderson, who has not yet served a full term as a minister.

Tuesday’s twists followed a whirlwind 24 hours in WA politics that began with Mr McGowan’s shock resignation on Monday.

The WA Premier, whose tough Covid-19 border controls and ardent advocacy for a greater share of GST revenues helped him drive Labor to unprecedented electoral success at both state and federal levels, and he looked set to lead Labor to a third straight win at the next state election in 2025. But he announced he would leave politics by the end of the week after becoming exhausted by the pressure and the day-to-day combativeness of the job.

Former federal Labor leader Kim Beazley, who was a longstanding mentor to Mr McGowan, on Tuesday told The Australian that whoever succeeded Mr McGowan was in for a hard challenge. “(Mr McGowan) emerges with great credit,” Mr Beazley said.

“He would never have expected a pandemic response to be his signature. His record in other policy areas is substantial but many in WA believe he saved them.”

Mr Cook, at 57, is two years older than Mr McGowan. “I think it would be best if we could find a consensus candidate, someone who can unite the party, someone that the community ­recognises has a track record, and someone who would resonate with the community,” Mr Cook told ABC radio on Tuesday morning.

However, Ms Sanderson, 46, had long been seen as Mr McGowan’s heir apparent.

Additional reporting: Paige Taylor