Roger Hugh Cook is an Australian politician who is the current premier of Western Australia, in office since June 2023 as leader of the Western Australian Labor Party. He was previously deputy premier of Western Australia from 2017 to 2023.
Cook in 2015
Cook speaking at a Community and Public Sector Union rally in 2012
Premier of Western Australia
The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role of the prime minister of Australia at a federal level. The premier leads the executive branch of the Government of Western Australia and is accountable to the Parliament of Western Australia. The premier is appointed by the governor of Western Australia. By convention, the governor appoints as premier whoever has the support of the majority of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of Western Australia. In practice, this means that the premier is the leader of the political party or group of parties with a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly. Since Western Australia achieved self-governance in 1890, there have been 31 premiers. Roger Cook is the current premier, having been appointed to the position on 8 June 2023.
Premier of Western Australia
Image: John Forrest
Image: George Throssell (1840 1910)
Image: George Leake