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AAP
AAP
Politics
Tim Dornin

WA minister to quit politics

Long-serving WA politician Alannah MacTiernan is to quit politics by the end of the year. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Long-serving minister Alannah MacTiernan is to quit the West Australian parliament at the end of the year, ending a career that has spanned local, state and federal politics.

Ms MacTiernan says the time is right to step down though she has no plans to relax and just "make crusty loaves and bake cakes".

"I'm probably not someone that's cut out for retirement," she told reporters on Monday.

"I'm going to take a bit of a break and I have no doubt I will find something meaningful to do.

"There's no shortage of things I'm interested in."

Ms MacTiernan has served most recently as minister for regional development, agriculture and food and for the hydrogen industry in Premier Mark McGowan's Labor government.

She served in state parliament from 1993 to 2010, including a period as minister for planning and infrastructure.

In 2010 she resigned to contest the seat of Canning in that year's federal election.

After losing she was elected the mayor of Vincent where she served for two years before winning the federal seat of Perth in 2013.

She decided not to re-contest Perth in 2016 but was invited to return to the state parliament in the upper house at the 2017 poll.

In 2019 Ms MacTiernan was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery and chemotherapy but said on Monday she was fully recovered and the illness had played no role in her decision.

Mr McGowan said his outgoing minister had indicated at the last state election that she only planned to continue in the parliament for two years.

"That's her call. That's her decision. Thirteen years as a minister is a very long time," he said.

The premier refused to speculate on who might replace her in the cabinet.

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