West Australian Premier Roger Cook used his first keynote speech as the Labor leader to protect his state’s position against Canberra politicians and the eastern states, announcing a WA Hub in the nation’s capital.
Marking 10 weeks in the job following Mark McGowan’s resignation Mr Cook said the “permanent and ongoing” hub would be attended by business and advocacy groups, as well as local government authorities, charity groups, and non-government organisations.
State ministers will also be “rostered” in Canberra to pursue WA’s “strategic agenda,” he added.
Speaking at The West Australian’s Leadership Matters event in Perth on Tuesday, Mr Cook’s launched a tirade against “eastern-state centric attitudes,” which he says dominates in Canberra.
While he credited Albanese with being a Prime Minister that “gets” WA, he said his state’s potential in things like manufacturing and green energy production were largely ignored on a national level.
Mr Cook said the taxpayer-funded Hub would be tasked with advocating for the state’s priorities and ensuring the state is represented through federal policy outcomes.
“We need a concerted effort there to remind Canberra that we are the engine room of the nation’s economy and that we’re also the engine room of the nation’s future economy,” he said.
“I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve spoken to a Canberra bureaucrat, or an east coast business leader who says they’ve never been to the Pilbara.”
At a press conference held after his speech, Mr Cook said the state needed the extra investment due to its geographic isolation, adding that it wasn’t “about politics, it was about team WA”.
“If you’re the premier of South Australia, you can be in Canberra in the morning and back home for dinner. In Western Australia, we don’t have that luxury,” he said.
Mr Cook also made several jokes about finally becoming Batman after being the Robin to Mr McGowan.
Mr Cook served as the Deputy Leader of the WA Labor Party for 15 years between 2008 to 2023, and was the Deputy Premier from 2017 to 2023.
Upon becoming premier, Mr Cook said he received texts from friends saying: “Finally, finally you’re become batman”.
“I built experience, watched others closely, listened, gave advice and helped make difficult decision through two terms of opposition and six years in government,” he said.
“So when Mark resigned, I knew it was time for that journey and experience to be put to good use.”