In an unexpected announcement early this afternoon, Mark McGowan announced that he will be stepping down from his role as Premier and Member for Rockingham, saying he is “exhausted.”
In a Facebook Post made shortly after the press conference, McGowan stated “When I eventually was elected as Premier, I had ambitions for our State. I wanted Western Australia to become the strongest, most successful state in the nation. To further diversify our economy, and have the strongest public finances. To be socially reformist, with the landmark achievements in conservation and environmental protection. To provide our citizens with quality public services and long-term infrastructure – for our long-term future.”
“I stand here today, and I know our State is in the position I set out to reach.”
McGowan’s time as WA Premier will most likely be remembered for his hardline approach during the COVID-19 pandemic, one that will be remembered positively by most of the WA community. During his tenure, he also led the government in regaining the state’s AAA credit rating, securing a larger portion of the GST, and kickstarting METRONET which is the biggest expansion of our public transport network that we’ve ever seen.
In the coming days and weeks, we’ll learn more as it all unfolds. However, the assumption is that Deputy Premier Roger Cook will take over the top spot with a cabinet reshuffle likely to occur. The decision of who will be the next leader will be left up Labor MPs to decide, with McGowan not nominating a replacement. It is expected that the caucus will meet when parliament resumes on June 13.
