WA election 2025: Premier Roger Cook calls Albanese ‘a mate’ while defending PM’s absence from Labor launch

Premier Roger Cook has described Anthony Albanese as a “mate” while defending his absence at WA Labor’s campaign launch this weekend. The election launch on Sunday — understood to be in central Perth — will feature Labor luminaries including Mark McGowan, but the Prime Minister will instead be in Tasmania. “It’s our election, it’s not a Federal election,” Mr Cook said on Friday. “I speak regularly with the Prime Minister. He’s not only my Prime Minister, he’s one of my mates and so I speak to him about issues all the time and, obviously, welcome him to come to Western Australia when he can.” The WA Liberals are holding their launch on the same day as Labor — hours before early voting starts, but Peter Dutton won’t be attending their event either. Mr Dutton will instead campaign in Perth next week, it is understood. Mr Albanese is expected to visit WA during the final week of the State campaign, with no date set yet for a Federal poll that must be held on or before May 17. Polling has shown WA voters are much more satisfied with Mr Cook’s performance than Mr Albanese’s, but the Premier denied he had asked the Prime Minister to stay away from the event. The Federal Treasurer wouldn’t be drawn on a likely date, that could delay a March Budget. “I see what you’re trying to do,” he told reporters in Perth. “Look we’re working towards a Budget towards the end of March and the Prime Minister will decide the date of the election. “But we’re working very hard to put that Budget together, we spent hours and hours in the cabinet room at the start of this week making decisions to feed into that Budget.”