WA Deputy Premier Roger Cook will become the state’s next premier, after Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson confirmed she had withdrawn from the leadership contest.
Mr Cook, Ms Sanderson and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti had indicated they would seek the leadership, but Ms Sanderson withdrew late on Tuesday after Ms Saffioti announced she would unite with Mr Cook to serve as his deputy.
Mr Cook put his hand up for the top job just hours after outgoing Premier Mark McGowan announced on Monday that he would be retiring from politics at the end of the week due to exhaustion.
The current deputy premier garnered the public support of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union – a key part of WA Labor's dominant left faction – who also said they would back Ms Saffioti as the next deputy leader.
Ms Sanderson said earlier she had the "clear" support of MPs aligned with the United Workers Union, who also form a large portion of the party's left faction.
Her withdrawal left Deputy Premier Roger Cook as the only remaining person to have publicly put their name forward.
In a statement, Ms Sanderson said she had pulled out in the interests of the party and looked forward to working with Mr Cook as the new leader of WA Labor.
"As I said this morning, my plan was to talk to my colleagues. I have now done that, and in the interest of unity and stability I will not be nominating for leadership of WA Labor," she said.
"I am fiercely proud of everything that this Labor Government has achieved over the past six years.
"I respect the process, and the views of the entire WA Labor team."
Cook 'big part' of COVID response
Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said earlier on Tuesday that Mr Cook would be the most appropriate pick for the job.
"Roger has been part of the leadership team for a long time and certainly one of our strengths as a government in how we dealt with COVID-19," he said.
Mr Cook steered Western Australia through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 as the then-health minister.
He first entered parliament in 2008 after winning the seat of Kwinana, and currently handles the portfolios of state development, jobs and trade, hydrogen industry, tourism, and science, along with his position as deputy premier.
Mr McGowan's shock resignation announcement left both the roles of premier and treasurer vacant, with the process of replacing him triggering a cabinet reshuffle, and a by-election for his seat of Rockingham.
After his announcement on Monday, state opposition and WA Nationals leader Shane Love said the loss of Mr McGowan and his overwhelming popularity as the premier would come at a cost to the WA Labor party.
However, both Labor MPs and political analysts have refuted that it would hurt the party's chances of winning the next state election in 2025.
