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| Roger Cook set to become Western Australia’s next premier | Roger Cook set to become Western Australia’s next premier |
| (2 months later) | |
| The 57-year-old is expected to replace Mark McGowan after Amber-Jade Sanderson withdrew from leadership race | The 57-year-old is expected to replace Mark McGowan after Amber-Jade Sanderson withdrew from leadership race |
| Roger Cook is poised to replace Mark McGowan as Western Australia’s next premier after health minister Amber-Jade Sanderson dropped out of the Labor leadership race. | Roger Cook is poised to replace Mark McGowan as Western Australia’s next premier after health minister Amber-Jade Sanderson dropped out of the Labor leadership race. |
| Sanderson withdrew “in the interests of unity and stability”, she told the West Australian newspaper, after key powerbrokers swung their support behind a ticket led by Cook with transport minister Rita Saffioti as his deputy. | Sanderson withdrew “in the interests of unity and stability”, she told the West Australian newspaper, after key powerbrokers swung their support behind a ticket led by Cook with transport minister Rita Saffioti as his deputy. |
| Cook, who has served as deputy premier since Labor came to office in 2017, is poised to become the state’s 31st premier. | Cook, who has served as deputy premier since Labor came to office in 2017, is poised to become the state’s 31st premier. |
| The 57-year-old served as health minister at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic before taking on his current portfolios of state development, jobs and trade. | The 57-year-old served as health minister at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic before taking on his current portfolios of state development, jobs and trade. |
| A protracted leadership battle had loomed before Saffioti met with Cook on Tuesday and agreed to serve as his deputy. | A protracted leadership battle had loomed before Saffioti met with Cook on Tuesday and agreed to serve as his deputy. |
| A group of 17 MPs aligned with the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union threw their unanimous support behind the ticket, shifting the majority of the left faction into his camp. | A group of 17 MPs aligned with the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union threw their unanimous support behind the ticket, shifting the majority of the left faction into his camp. |
| “The deputy premier and I have been parliamentary colleagues for 15 years and cabinet colleagues for six years,” Saffioti said in a statement. | “The deputy premier and I have been parliamentary colleagues for 15 years and cabinet colleagues for six years,” Saffioti said in a statement. |
| “What we offer above all else is stable leadership, which is what our state needs right now. | “What we offer above all else is stable leadership, which is what our state needs right now. |
| “The deputy premier and I will continue to engage with our parliamentary colleagues as we seek to deliver unified and stable leadership for the state and a consensus ticket for the party.” | “The deputy premier and I will continue to engage with our parliamentary colleagues as we seek to deliver unified and stable leadership for the state and a consensus ticket for the party.” |
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| The emergency services minister, Stephen Dawson, said the AMWU believed Cook had the necessary experience to serve as premier. | The emergency services minister, Stephen Dawson, said the AMWU believed Cook had the necessary experience to serve as premier. |
| “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,” Dawson said. | “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,” Dawson said. |
| “Amber’s a fantastic minister. She’s been a minister, though, for just over a year and a half. | “Amber’s a fantastic minister. She’s been a minister, though, for just over a year and a half. |
| “She’s got a big task ahead in the current portfolio that she’s got.” | “She’s got a big task ahead in the current portfolio that she’s got.” |
| Dawson played down talk of disunity within Labor’s left faction and backed Sanderson to one day lead the party. | Dawson played down talk of disunity within Labor’s left faction and backed Sanderson to one day lead the party. |
| “I’m confident that if Roger becomes the next premier of Western Australia, there won’t be divisions,” he said. | “I’m confident that if Roger becomes the next premier of Western Australia, there won’t be divisions,” he said. |
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| Sanderson only became a cabinet minister in 2021, taking the environment and commerce portfolios before stepping up to health during a meteoric political rise. | Sanderson only became a cabinet minister in 2021, taking the environment and commerce portfolios before stepping up to health during a meteoric political rise. |
| She had earlier won the backing of a majority of the roughly two dozen MPs affiliated with the United Workers Union. | She had earlier won the backing of a majority of the roughly two dozen MPs affiliated with the United Workers Union. |
| Her withdrawal from the leadership race means the party is likely to avert having to canvass rank-and-file members across several weeks. | Her withdrawal from the leadership race means the party is likely to avert having to canvass rank-and-file members across several weeks. |
| The entire parliamentary party is expected to meet early next week. | The entire parliamentary party is expected to meet early next week. |
| Cook earlier made a public pitch for the job, saying he had the necessary energy, experience and support of his colleagues. | Cook earlier made a public pitch for the job, saying he had the necessary energy, experience and support of his colleagues. |
| “As someone who’s been acting premier on many occasions, I feel I know what is required to be premier,” he told Perth radio station 6PR. | “As someone who’s been acting premier on many occasions, I feel I know what is required to be premier,” he told Perth radio station 6PR. |
| Cook said he had only learned of McGowan’s shock decision to resign at a cabinet meeting on Monday shortly before it was announced. | Cook said he had only learned of McGowan’s shock decision to resign at a cabinet meeting on Monday shortly before it was announced. |
| McGowan said the role of political leadership was relentless and the Covid-19 years had exhausted him. | McGowan said the role of political leadership was relentless and the Covid-19 years had exhausted him. |