WA election 2025: Roger Cook chokes back tears as he celebrates Labor’s win

Roger Cook has met with senior ministers and declared he has a clear mandate to put WA jobs first, after cementing his own job with a bigger than expected election victory despite an 11 per cent swing against Labor.

Ahead of a front bench reshuffle to launch a third-term agenda, a Labor source said the result put the Premier in a “strong” position to shape the “cabinet he wants”.

But he called it a team effort.

“I’m just so proud of my team,” Mr Cook said.

“It’s an important milestone in anyone’s political career when they’re endorsed at a general election and I’m gripped with both the sense of opportunity and trust.

“We will work day in and day out to provide good government.”

Others declared it his personal victory, two years after emerging from a three-way leadership battle, with Rita Saffioti and Amber-Jade Sanderson, in the wake of Mark McGowan’s sudden resignation.

Mr Cook declared on election day that his plan is to “go long” and he is “just getting started” in the top job.

“Roger smashed it out of the park,” Housing Minister John Carey said.

“This is one for the history books and Roger will go down in Labor history. It’s a full mandate in his own right, he smashed all expectations.”

The Premier had little down time before meeting with staff on Sunday and will convene a meeting of all Labor MP’s on Monday.

But though factional jostling has started, he will delay a decision on cabinet until after the results become clearer, with Training and Water Minister Simone McGurk on the edge of defeat in Fremantle.

Energy and environment minister Reece Whitby is the most likely option being touted for Health in what could be a straight swap with Amber-Jade Sanderson.

Deputy premier Rita Saffioti is under pressure to share the glory with others and could relinquish the heavy responsibility of Transport, to take up sport and recreation instead, alongside tourism and treasury.

Emerging talent including Kimberley mp Divina D’anna, former Unions WA secretary Meredith Hammat , parliamentary secretary Pierre Yang and Kingsley mp Jess Stojkovski are being tipped for further promotion.

Mr Cook has listed student assistance payments and stamp duty relief as his first priorities, but called his “Made in WA” plan his highlight of the campaign and what will define the next term in Parliament.

“It’s a policy setting that I’ve been working on for some time,” he said.

“Making sure that we diversify our economy, use the clean energy transition to really energise our whole manufacturing sector. That’s the point where I saw myself and my team deeply reflected in the policies that we were putting forward and we were immensely proud.

He promised to “reflect” on local results but poured cold water on claims a strong Greens vote could shift that clean energy agenda further to the left, and away from support of gas projects.

“We’ll stand up for WA jobs, we’ll stand up for the WA economy,” he said.

“Look government is tough right? You have to make tough decisions.”

The Premier also called the result proof that voters like Labor’s plans for a $217 million street circuit and amphitheatre in Burswood despite opposition from local mayors.

A 10 per cent swing against Labor in Victoria Park was lower than elsewhere and left Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley with a healthy margin, ahead 67-33 two-party preferred.

“We received an overwhelming majority, a clear mandate,” Mr Cook said.

“That was something which the opposition campaigned straight strongly against, with the Greens by the way, but we continue to have some good results from all those metropolitan seats which were impacted by those issues.”

But he baulked at calling the vote a vindication of his character assessment of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance - who he last week described as a “knob”.

“No, no comment,” he said through laughter on Sunday.

Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti called the result a “huge” win.

“We ran a disciplined, focused campaign,” she said.

Labor has lost four seats but remains on track for a victory that equals or betters the 2017 landslide that swept Mark McGowan into office.

Shane Love has won the battle for the Mid-west, but will likely lose the Opposition Leader title.

The Nationals have retained Roe, Central Wheatbelt, gained Geraldton and likely to jump ahead in Kalgoorlie, with Liberal preferences, and in Warren-Blackwood.

The Liberals have welcomed new faces in Churchlands, Cottesloe, Nedlands and Carine and are in front in Albany, Murray-Wellington and Kalamunda.

Labor is ahead in Dawesville and South Perth and is celebrating wins in Scarborough, Bateman and South Perth - where Mr Cook said electric ferries won voters over.

“They were once seats which the Liberal party would have always banked,” he said.

As for who he wants to face as Opposition Leader now?

“Anyone! I’m just itching to get going,” Mr Cook said, promising to get on with it.