WA election result leads to sweeping changes

A resounding election win has allowed Premier Roger Cook to undertake sweeping changes to the Western Australian Cabinet, with the largest reshuffle of executive government since 2017.

Now governing with the authority that comes with an election win of his own, Western Australia will be watching closely to see how the Premier and his team reshape the future of the State in a third term WA Labor Government.

2025 election result

The Western Australian State election on 8 March defied many pundits’ consensus that we would see a recovery of Liberal fortunes in the West, instead delivering WA Labor’s second-best electoral result in history. By contrast, the WA Liberal campaign was plagued by constant leadership questions, several candidate distractions, and an uneven policy pitch that failed to resonate with the wider community.

With results continuing to be counted, WA Labor appears set to retain up to 47 out of 59 Lower House seats, with the Liberals and Nationals at 12. In the Legislative Council, WA Labor have lost their majority but retained the lion’s share of Upper House seats to at least 15 or 16. The Liberals and Nationals combined appear to hold at least 12 seats, with the Greens dominating an expanded crossbench – with four seats of their own – to hold the balance of power.

The stronger than expected result for WA Labor has also drastically reshaped internal political influences, with a factional rebalancing seeing a drop in the number of left-leaning United Workers Union (UWU) aligned caucus MPs, and a resurgence for right-leaning Progressive Labor MPs. This realignment has wider implications for the future of new Cabinet entrants, the policy direction of the Government, and even future leadership ambitions.

The New Cabinet

The WA Labor Cabinet and portfolios have seen their largest changes since 2017, with portfolios rebadged, reshaped, and split to suit the policy priorities of the day. Of note is a new focus on regional WA in response to elements of anti-government sentiment in regional seats at the election, with portfolios recreated for the first time since 2008 for each of the regional development areas

New ministerial portfolio

Premier Roger Cook has firmly put his policy priorities on display, retaining his position as Minister for State Development and rebadging his responsibilities to include Trade and Investment and Economic Diversification, while the portfolios of Public Sector Management, Jobs and Federal-State relations remain notably absent.

Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti has retained Transport, on top of her existing responsibility as Treasurer. She has shed Tourism in favour of Sport and Recreation, likely giving more focus to major sporting events in the future.

Long-standing Minister Stephen Dawson has taken on some entirely new portfolios, with Regional Development and Ports added to his personal interests of Science and Innovation. Fellow Upper House Member Jackie Jarvis has added Fisheries and Mid-West to her existing regionally focused portfolios of Agriculture and Food, Forests and Small Business.

Corrective Services and Emergency Services have been brought together once again with Paul Papalia who will also retain Defence Industries and Racing and Gaming.

Tony Buti takes on responsibility for universities as the Minister for the newly created portfolio of Tertiary Education, as well as becoming the State’s new Attorney General and Minister for Commerce.

After seeing off a strong challenge in the seat of Fremantle, long-serving Minster Simone McGurk has kept the portfolio of Industrial Relations, adding Aged Care and a rebadged Creative Industries to her workload.

Senior Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson has moved to the priority portfolio of Energy and Decarbonisation. Adding the portfolios of Manufacturing, Skills and Tafe, and the Pilbara to an expansive and expensive policy remit, she has been effectively deputised in securing the funds required to deliver the Premier’s vision of Western Australia as a renewable energy superpower.

The three new Cabinet entrants have been put under immediate spotlight, with the assignment of high-profile portfolios usually reserved for more experienced Ministers. Jessica Stojkovski takes on Child Protection, Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence and Minister Assisting for Transport; Matthew Swinbourn takes on the demanding Environment portfolio, as well as Community Services and Homelessness; and Meredith Hammat takes on Health and Mental Health, with more of a focus on service delivery and not health infrastructure development.

High performer John Carey has retained the Government’s high priority portfolio of Housing, as well as Lands, Planning and taking on the infrastructure component of the Health portfolio. The Works portfolio – re-established after 24 years – has also been added to his responsibilities, potentially bridging the gap between development and the need for water and power connections.

Sabine Winton has received a promotion, adding Education, Preventative Health and Wheatbelt to Early Childhood, while Don Punch has moved into Water, Aboriginal Affairs, Climate Resilience and the South West.

David Michael has retained Mines and Petroleum, and has had Finance, Electoral Affairs, Goldfields-Esperance and Leader of the House added to his workload.

Minister Hannah Beazley continues in her role as Minister for Local Government and Youth, adding Disability Services and Volunteering to her portfolio responsibilities.

New Member of Parliament and the former Premier’s Chief of Staff Daniel Pastorelli has been made Cabinet Secretary, leapfrogging many other longer-serving aspirants to the role that gives him a front-row seat to Cabinet deliberations and the Government’s future agenda.

Staffing and Departmental movements

Daniel Smith has commenced his long-touted role as Chief of Staff to the Premier. Long-serving advisers to Roger Cook, Ruth O’Toole and Neil Fergus, have been appointed joint Deputy Chiefs of Staff to the Premier. Strategic Director Luke Clarke will shift roles to lead policy within the Premier’s office, with a stronger focus on industry.

Key departures of long-serving staff from the Premier’s Office include Deputy Chief of Staff Veronica Jeffery, Policy Director Dave Coggin, Special Adviser Kieran Murphy, and Media Adviser Mark Scott, signifying generational change to policy development and engagement approach.

Ministerial offices will undertake new staffing arrangements immediately after swearing-in by the Governor on Wednesday 19 March. Departures within ministerial offices are expected, however, staff are given up to three months to decide whether to remain, or depart with a term-of-government payout.

The Premier and his new mandate has given him licence to pursue refreshed public sector leadership. By agreement, Premier and Cabinet Director General Emily Roper will finish up at the end of this week. Richard Sellers will move from Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety to interim Premier and Cabinet Director General until the Premier’s choice to lead his Department – with strong speculation of an external hire – is announced. Current Coordinator of Energy at Energy Policy WA Jai Thomas will act as Director General of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. Other significant Departmental leadership changes are likely in coming months.

However, those new appointments will have to hit the ground running, as it is understood that strong consideration has been given to a June State Budget, leaving little time for new spending requests beyond the Government’s election commitments to be added to the agenda.

The road ahead

With these initial announcements and changes, Western Australians can expect economic diversification and industry development to take priority over fiscal restraint. With the Premier keen to begin delivering on his signature Made in WA policy platform, early internal movements have conveyed a sense of ‘clearing the decks’ and renewed optimism for these changes to occur. Current budgetary circumstances and a strong electoral mandate from the community have buoyed this new direction.

However, pressing policy issues and a challenging geopolitical environment present a risk for this approach. Persistent national pressures around cost of living and a lack of housing stock continue to plague the State Government, as does health infrastructure and workforce pressures across both the public and private sectors.

Turmoil overseas with the ongoing trade wars with the United States and the impact of tariffs may decrease the appetite for increased public spending and threaten private investment decisions. Additionally, muted business optimism for green energy projects presents a risk to the Premier’s stated goal of Western Australia becoming a ‘clean energy powerhouse’ for the Asia Pacific region.

There exists an opportunity for the Premier and the State Government to use its political success as leverage in what is anticipated to be a very tight Federal election in May. Further Commonwealth funding for major infrastructure projects and the State’s energy transition will certainly be on top of the Government’s wish list, however, it remains to be seen how well they can play off the Albanese Government and Dutton Opposition against each other for the benefit of the State.

Despite an uncertain time ahead, Western Australia appears likely to continue its role as key to the electoral and economic fortunes of the nation.

Contact us

For further insights and what this means for you and your organisation. Reach out to the SEC Newgate Perth team.

Bruce Campbell-Faser, Partner and Perth Office Head, SEC Newgate Communications – [email protected]

Joey Armenti, Senior Adviser, SEC Newgate Communications – [email protected]

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