Home > Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. He or she performs the same functions in Western Australia as the Prime Minister of Australia does at the national level. As of 2004 the Premier of Western Australia is Dr Geoffrey Gallop.The Constitution of Western Australia does not explicitly provide for a premier, and the office was not formally listed as one of the executive offices until the appointment of Ross McLarty in 1947. Nonetheless, John Forrest immediately adopted the title on taking office in 1890, and it has been used ever since.
The office of Premier of Western Australia was created in 1890, when Western Australia was officially granted responsible government by Britain in 1889. John Forrest was the only Premier of Western Australia as a self-governing colony. Following Federation in 1901, Western Australia became an Australian State, and the responsibilities of the office of premier were diminished.
The premier must be a member of one of the two Houses of the Parliament of Western Australia. He or she is appointed by the governor (or, if the post of governor is vacant, the acting governor).
Since the rise of party politics in Western Australia, the premier has almost always been the leader of the political party or coalition of parties with the majority of seats in the lower House of the Parliament, the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, and must resign if he or she loses the support of the majority of that house.
The Constitution contains nothing to preclude the premier being a member of the upper House, the Western Australian Legislative Council. Historically and by convention, however, the premier is a member of the Assembly. The only exception has been Hal ColebatchSir Hal Pateshall Colebatch ( 1872 1953) was a colourful and controversial figure in West Australian politics. His brief term as State Premier in 1919 was only an interlude, in a long political career. The son of immigrants, Colebatch arrived at the Coolg, a member of the Legislative Council who accepted the premiership on the understanding that an Assembly seat would be found for him, and resigned a month later when no seat could be found.
For more information on the office of premier, see Premiers of the Australian statesThe Premiers of the Australian states are the heads of the executive governments in the six states of the Commonwealth of Australia. They perform the same functions at the state level as the Prime Minister of Australia performs at the national level..
1 List of Premiers of Western Australia
