It’s straight back to work for Premier Mark McGowan, as the Liberal Party WA looks to have pulled ahead in the once safe Liberal seat of Churchlands.
It’s straight back to work for Premier Mark McGowan, as the Liberal Party WA looks to have pulled ahead in the once safe Liberal seat of Churchlands.
More than 52 per cent of the vote has now been counted, with WA Labor holding at least 50 seats after gaining 10 and the eight candidates vying for the four remaining seats neck and neck.
It appears Churchlands MP and Liberal Party WA treasury spokesman Sean L'Estrange may hold onto his seat with 50.4 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, but that Nedlands may fall to WA Labor candidate Katrina Stratton, who is leading Liberal MP Bill Marmion 51-49.
Nationals MP Vince Catania is tipped to retain North West Central over WA Labor candidate Cherie Sibosado and his fellow party member, Terry Redman, may just hold on to Warren-Blackwood.
The caucus is expected to meet as early as Wednesday to decide which members of the party should take on one of the four ministerial positions now vacant, with confirmation of the new appointments expected later this week.
During a press conference this morning, Premier Mark McGowan remained coy about who may fill those roles and whether he would take on the role of Treasurer himself, while alluding to a need for "new blood".
“I haven’t made those decisions because we didn’t want to preempt the election - and that’s a true statement,” he said.
“Getting ahead of yourself in political life is arrogant.
“I will work with my colleagues, but obviously I will have a very large say.
“There is a process by which the caucus elects ministers and ministerial secretaries, but beforehand, there are some discussions and I’ll have some fairly firm views about it.
“It’ll be based on merit, making sure the regions are fairly represented, making sure we have both women and men, all those sorts of things.
“I have seen all of my colleagues in action over the course of the last four, eight, 12 years, and I have views about people’s relative strengths, but you’ve also got to have some renewal.
"You've got to make sure that new people get experience and that we have new blood, new enthusiasm.”
Mr McGowan also referenced concerns around the broader implications of the landslide win and what it would mean for democracy, with WA Labor holding at least 50 of the 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly and potentially 23 in the Legislative Council.
He rejected claims that the win was somehow undemocratic and said it was undemocratic not to respect the result.
“There is this argument that it is somehow undemocratic - it’s a democratic result,” he said.
“People voted, they elected people, and then you get to govern and do what you promised to during the election - that’s democracy.
“How is it undemocratic for the people to have elected people?”
