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Mark McGowan

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This article is about the Australian politician. For other uses, seeMark McGowan (disambiguation).

The Honourable
Mark McGowan
AC
McGowan in April 2014
30thPremier of Western Australia
In office
17 March 2017 – 8 June 2023
MonarchsElizabeth II
Charles III
GovernorKerry Sanderson
Kim Beazley
Chris Dawson
DeputyRoger Cook
Preceded byColin Barnett
Succeeded byRoger Cook
Treasurer of Western Australia
In office
18 March 2021 – 8 June 2023
Preceded byBen Wyatt
Succeeded byRita Saffioti
Leader of the Western Australian
Labor Party
In office
23 January 2012 – 6 June 2023
DeputyRoger Cook
Preceded byEric Ripper
Succeeded byRoger Cook
Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia
Elections:2013
In office
23 January 2012 – 17 March 2017
PremierColin Barnett
DeputyRoger Cook
Preceded byEric Ripper
Succeeded byMike Nahan
Member of the Legislative Assembly
forRockingham
In office
14 December 1996 – 8 June 2023
Preceded byMike Barnett
Succeeded byMagenta Marshall
Other ministerial offices
Minister for Public Sector Management
In office
17 March 2017 – 19 March 2021
Preceded byBill Marmion
Succeeded byRoger Cook
Minister for Education and Training
In office
13 December 2006 – 23 September 2008
PremierAlan Carpenter
Preceded byLjiljanna Ravlich
Succeeded byLiz Constable
Minister for the Environment
In office
3 February 2006 – 13 December 2006
PremierAlan Carpenter
Preceded byJudy Edwards
Succeeded byTony McRae
Minister for Disability Services
In office
13 October 2005 – 2 March 2007
PremierGeoff Gallop
Alan Carpenter
Preceded byBob Kucera
Succeeded byMargaret Quirk
Minister for Tourism, Racing and Gaming
In office
10 March 2005 – 13 December 2006
PremierGeoff Gallop
Alan Carpenter
Preceded byNick Griffiths
Succeeded bySheila McHale
John Bowler
Minister for the Peel and South West
In office
10 March 2005 – 23 September 2008
PremierGeoff Gallop
Alan Carpenter
Preceded byNorm Marlborough
Succeeded byDavid Templeman
Personal details
Born(1967-07-13)13 July 1967(age 57)[1]
Newcastle,New South Wales
Political partyLabor
Spouse
Sarah Miller
​
(m.1996)​
[1]
Children3
ResidenceRockingham, Western Australia
EducationCasino High School
Coffs Harbour High School
Alma materUniversity of Queensland
Profession
Signature
Websitewww.markmcgowan.com.au
Military service
AllegianceAustralia
Branch/service
Years of service1989–present
RankLieutenant
UnitHMASStirling
AwardsCommendation for Brave Conduct

Mark McGowanAC(born 13 July 1967) is an Australian former politician and naval officer who served as the 30thpremier of Western Australiafrom 2017 until his retirement in 2023. He was the leader of theWestern Australian branchof theAustralian Labor Party(ALP) from 2012 to 2023 and amember of the Legislative Assembly(MLA) for the district ofRockinghamfrom 1996 to 2023.

McGowan was born and raised inNewcastle, New South Wales.He attended theUniversity of Queenslandand worked as a legal officer for theRoyal Australian Navy,serving at naval baseHMASStirling,south ofPerth.Settling inWestern Australia,he was elected as a councillor for theCity of Rockinghamfrom 1994, and was later elected to theWestern Australian Legislative Assemblyat the1996 election,representing the district ofRockingham.In 2001, he was made Parliamentary Secretary to PremierGeoff Gallop,and was later aCabinet Ministerin both the Gallop andCarpenter Governmentsfrom 2005 to 2008.

McGowan was elected as Leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia following the resignation ofEric Ripper,and becameLeader of the Oppositionin the Legislative Assembly. Although he led Labor to defeat at the2013 election,he retained his position as leader, and embarked upon a "listening tour" of the state, pledging to restore Labor's credibility with voters. McGowan subsequently grew in popularity, and went on to lead Labor to a landslide victory at the2017 election,winning the largest majority government in the state's history at the time. He was subsequently appointed the 30th Premier of Western Australia.[2]

Throughout 2020, McGowan ledWestern Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic,during which time he reached a record-breaking approval rating for an Australian premier of 91%. At the2021 election,he led his party to an even larger landslide victory, winning 53 out of 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly, and also winning a majority in theLegislative Council.This was the largest victory in terms of both vote share and proportion of lower house seats occupied in Australian electoral history.[3]He resigned as premier and as a member of parliament on 8 June 2023.

Early life and naval career

[edit]

McGowan was born into a family ofIrishdescent inNewcastle, New South Wales,and was educated at public schools inCasinoandCoffs Harbour,before obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1989 from theUniversity of Queensland.He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1984, stating that he was inspired by the leadership ofPrime MinisterBob Hawke.[4]In 1989, he joined theRoyal Australian Navyas a legal officer. He served at the naval baseHMASStirling,reaching the rank oflieutenant.In 1996, he was awarded aCommendation for Brave Conduct,for actions he took on service in 1995 for rescuing an unconscious driver from a burning car.[5]

Early political career

[edit]

In 1994, after settling with his family in Western Australia, McGowan was elected to theCity of Rockingham Council,and in 1995 was appointed Deputy Mayor. He was subsequently pre-selected to run for theWestern Australian Legislative Assemblyin the seat ofRockinghamat the1996 election,following the retirement of long-serving MPMike Barnett.

At the2001 election,Labor defeated theLiberal–National Government;new PremierGeoff Gallopchose to appoint McGowan as his Parliamentary Secretary.[6]McGowan was also responsible for chairing the state's ANZAC Committee, the group managing the Western Australia's 175th anniversary celebrations in 2004, and for chairing the Bali Memorial Steering Committee.[7]In January 2005, following the retirement of federal Labor LeaderMark Lathamfrom politics, McGowan was criticised in some quarters for taking unapproved leave to travel toSydneyto lobby forKim Beazley's return to the federal leadership; Gallop reprimanded McGowan and ordered him to return to Perth.[8]

Following Labor's win at the2005 election,Gallop reshuffledhis Ministry,and promoted McGowan to the role ofMinister for Tourism, Racing and Gaming.[9]Later that year, following Gallop's retirement, McGowan was moved to the role ofMinister for the Environmentby new PremierAlan Carpenter.During his time in the Ministry, McGowan introduced major liquor reforms, including the introduction of small bars, created the Department of Environment and Conservation, and provided approval for theGorgon gas project.[10][11][12]

In December 2006, following the resignation ofLjiljanna Ravlich,Carpenter appointed McGowan to replace her asMinister for Education and Training.In this portfolio, McGowan oversaw the replacement of outcomes-based education with syllabus documents, re-established traditional forms of marking and reporting, and launched a renewed effort towards the attraction and retention of teachers.[13][14][15][16]

In April 2008, McGowan was criticised by some for referring to ex-Labor MPJohn D'Orazioas "the worst ethnicbranch stackerin the history of Labor in Western Australia "; both McGowan and Premier Carpenter apologised for the remarks.[17]McGowan later apologised to anyone who took offence to the remark.[18]The issue returned to the media spotlight when it was revealed that McGowan had had some dealings over fundraising with the controversial politicianBrian Burkeduring the2005 election.[19]

Leader of the Opposition

[edit]
McGowan addressing a rally in 2014

After Labor's defeat at the2008 election,Alan Carpenter resigned as Leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia; McGowan was considered one of several contenders to replace him, but he chose not to run, instead supporting the eventual winnerEric Ripper,who was elected unopposed. McGowan did choose to contest the election for Deputy Leader, but lost to newcomerRoger Cookby 30 votes to 9.[20]Ripper appointed McGowan to the Shadow Ministry as Shadow Minister for State Development, Trade, Planning, Housing and Works, and was also appointed as Manager of Opposition Business in the Legislative Assembly.

On 17 January 2012, following declining performances in opinion polls, Eric Ripper announced that he would resign as Leader of the Opposition. At a caucus meeting on 23 January, McGowan was elected unopposed as Ripper's successor, becoming Leader of the Opposition.[21][22]Despite an initial improvement in Labor's standing in opinion polls, Labor ultimately suffered a 5.4 percent swing against it at the2013 election,losing five seats. Despite this, McGowan was not blamed for the loss, and was unanimously confirmed as party leader by his colleagues.

After Labor's 2013 defeat, McGowan launched a "listening tour" of the state, pledging that he would enact policy reforms to address the reasons for Labor suffering two defeats in a row. Soon after this process, opinion polls began to show increasingly large swings of support away from the second-termBarnett Government.By 2015, McGowan had reached a comfortable lead in polls as preferred Premier of Western Australia, and retained this position until the following election.[23]

Premier of Western Australia (2017-2023)

[edit]
See also:First McGowan MinistryandSecond McGowan Ministry

At the2017 election,McGowan led the Labor Party to one of its most comprehensive victories at either the state or territory level since Federation.[24]Labor won 41 of the 59 seats available on 55.5 percent of the two-party vote, the largest majority government in Western Australian history. Labor also took 20 seats off the incumbent Liberal-WA Nationalgovernment on a swing of 12.8 percent, the worst defeat of a sitting government in Western Australian history. Seven members of Barnett's cabinet were defeated, including Nationals LeaderBrendon Grylls.[25][26][27][28]His own margin in Rockingham swelled from an already comfortably safe 13.2 percent to 23.4 percent.

McGowan's win was built primarily on the strength of a dominating performance in Perth. Labor picked up a swing of 13.6 percent in Perth and took all but nine of the capital's 43 seats, accounting for almost all of its majority. According toAntony GreenofABC News,the 10-point swing Labor theoretically needed to win was not as daunting as it seemed on paper. Besides theone vote one valuereforms in 2008 that allowed Perth to elect over 70 percent of the legislature, much of the Liberals' 2013 margin was built on inflated margins in Perth's outer suburbs.[26]

McGowan was sworn in byGovernorKerry Sandersonas the 30thPremier of Western Australiaon 17 March 2017.[2][29]Early in his premiership, McGowan moved to limit the number of pathways for foreign workers to enter the state, re-committed to terminating the controversialPerth Freight Linkhighway project, which had proved extremely unpopular in large parts of the state,[30][31]and he restructured various government departments.[32][33]McGowan also introduced unlimited fines and life imprisonment for people deemed to be trafficking methamphetamine,[34]and worked to expand Chinese investment in Western Australia.[35][36][37]

On 1 May 2018, Kim Beazley was sworn in to a four-year term as governor upon the recommendation of McGowan.[38][39]He was the first ex-politician to become governor sinceSir James Mitchellin 1948.[40]His appointment was generally well received, although some people had reservations that arepublicanhad become the Queen's representative and that Beazley was close friends with McGowan.[41]

McGowan hadministerial responsibilityfor thePerth Mintbetween the 2017 and 2021 elections. In 2018, the Mint commenced doping its gold bars with lower value metals. The Shanghai Gold Exchange later discovered that some of the gold it bought from the Perth Mint contained more silver than was allowed under its standards. The Perth Mint covered this up when alerted and it was only made public by an ABCFour Cornersinvestigation.[42]The Mint has also been under investigation byAUSTRACfor having potentially breached anti-money laundering laws.[43]

Response to the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021)

[edit]
Painted Dog Research approval polls
Month Satisfied Dissatisfied
June 2020[44] 87% 5%
September 2020[44] 91% 5%
February 2021[44] 88% 7%
December 2021[44] 77% 14%
February 2022[44] 64% 25%
March 2022[45] 68%
October 2022[45] 70% 18%
March 2023[46] 63% 24%

Throughout 2020 and 2021, McGowan ledWestern Australia's responseto theCOVID-19 pandemic.He acted early to close the state's borders to the rest of the country on 5 April.[47]In July 2020, businessmanClive Palmerclaimed that the closing of the borders wasunconstitutionaland launcheda legal challengein theFederal Court.The case was defeated, and in response McGowan labelled Palmer an "enemy of the state".[48][49]Shortly afterwards, McGowan's popularity in opinion polls dramatically increased, reaching 91% approval in September 2020, a record for any Australian premier.[44]

In January 2021, McGowan criticised theNew South Wales Government's responseand attitude towards the pandemic, contrasting it with that of his own Government's response.[50]In March 2021, he suggested that some internal Australian border controls could be continued after the pandemic, on the grounds that they had helped to keep illegal drugs out of Western Australia, but clarified later that he meant to suggest only an increased police presence at border checkpoints, rather than completely sealing the border.[51]

2021 election

[edit]
Main article:2021 Western Australian state election

In the lead up to the2021 election,WA Labor raced out to a large lead in opinion polls, leading to speculation that the McGowan Government would be reelected with another record majority. Labor approached 70% in the two-party preferred polls, with McGowan maintaining a personal approval rating of 88%.[52]Opposition LeaderZak Kirkuptook the unprecedented step of conceding the election more than a fortnight before election day.[53]On 13 March 2021, WA Labor won the most comprehensive victory, in terms of vote share and percentage of seats controlled, at any level in Australia since Federation. Labor took 69.7 percent of the two-party vote and picked up a 13-seat swing, ultimately winning 53 out of 59 seats, including all but one in Perth. Labor even managed to defeat Kirkup in his own seat.[3]McGowan's own margin in Rockingham increased to 37.7 percent, making Rockingham the safest seat in the state.

Claiming victory, McGowan stated that the victory was "beyond humbling" and pledged that the Government would work to retain the support of the majority of Western Australians.[3]

Second term

[edit]

McGowan announced his new cabinet on 18 March 2021. Among various changes, he opted to serve as his owntreasurer,afterBen Wyatt,the previous treasurer, retired at the 2021 election. The two other ministers viewed as possible candidates,Roger CookandRita Saffioti,had existing important roles that McGowan wanted them to continue with. Cook was health minister and thus had an important role in the state's COVID-19 response, and Saffioti was transport and planning minister, overseeing the government'sMetronetproject. Prior to 2001, WA premiers generally served as their own treasurers, but since then, the only premier to hold that position before McGowan wasColin Barnettbriefly in 2010, 2012 and 2014.[54][55]

McGowan announced the formation of a panel to examine potential reform of theWestern Australian Legislative Councilvoting system soon after the 2021 election, after denying he would implement reforms to the Legislative Council voting system several times during the election. The panel was led by formerGovernor of Western AustraliaMalcolm McCusker,and consisted of four electoral and constitutional law experts. McGowan and Electoral Affairs MinisterJohn Quigleysaid the election ofWilson Tuckerwith 98 primary votes was a key reason for their change of mind.[56]In September 2021, McGowan announced the changes to be made to the voting system, including abolishing regions in the Legislative Council, and removinggroup voting tickets.[57]Also that month, he handed down the Western Australian state budget, which recorded a sizeable surplus of $5.6 billion.[58][59]

On 13 December 2021, McGowan announced that Western Australia would fully open its borders to COVID-19 vaccinated people from interstate and overseas on 5 February 2022.[60][61]On 20 January 2022, McGowan reversed his decision on the plan for Western Australia to fully open its borders, saying that theOmicron variant of COVID-19was more contagious than previous variants of the virus and that the state's vaccination booster levels were not high enough to safely reopen to the world.[62]A February opinion poll showed that his approval rating had decreased to 64%, the lowest during the pandemic, but still comparatively high to premiers in other states.[44][63]On 18 February, McGowan announced the border would reopen on 3 March for people from outside Australia and triple vaccinated people from interstate.[64]

When Beazley's term as governor finished in 2022, McGowan recommended WA Police CommissionerChris Dawsonas his replacement. Dawson was sworn in on 15 July 2022.[65][66][67]

Resignation and retirement from politics

[edit]
Utting Research approval polls
Month Satisfied Dissatisfied
May 2023[68] 68% 19%

On 29 May 2023, McGowan announced he would step down as premier and member for Rockingham. He cited his exhaustion from the relentless pressures of the job as the reason for his resignation.[69]McGowan went on leave following Friday 2 June, and formally resigned on Thursday 8 June. Aleadership electionof the Labor Party caucus was held decide his replacement. Roger Cook was the only nominee, and so he was elected to succeed McGowan, with Rita Saffioti as his deputy.[70]

McGowan was appointed aCompanion of the Order of Australiain the2024 King's Birthday Honoursfor "eminent service to the people and Parliament of Western Australia, to public health and education, and to international trade relations".[71]

Career after politics

[edit]

In August 2024, McGowan was appointed non-executive chairman of theASX-listed renewable energy company Frontier Energy.[72]

Political views

[edit]

McGowan has described his political strategy as "centrist", saying "you have got to appeal to everyone". He credited that strategy as one of the reasons for his2021 landslide election.[73]

As of 2021,McGowan was one of six Labor MPs in the state parliament who were not factionally aligned.[74]

Personal life

[edit]

Since 1996, McGowan has been married to Sarah Miller, with whom he has three children.[75]

References

[edit]
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  72. ^Rogan, Aaliyah (20 August 2024)."Former WA premier embarks on new Frontier".Mining.com.au.Retrieved27 August2024.
  73. ^Shine, Rhiannon (14 March 2021)."WA election: Mark McGowan declares Labor will run a 'centrist' government after overwhelming win".ABC News.Archivedfrom the original on 17 January 2022.Retrieved17 January2022.
  74. ^de Kruijff, Peter (15 March 2021)."What are WA Labor's factions and who sits where?".WAtoday.Archivedfrom the original on 17 January 2022.Retrieved17 January2022.
  75. ^"Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia: Mr Mark McGowan".Parliament of Western Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 9 August 2022.Retrieved9 August2022.
[edit]
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for Rockingham
1996–2023 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition
2012–2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Premier of Western Australia
2017–2023 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Treasurer of Western Australia
2021–2023 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia
2012–2023 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mark_McGowan&oldid=1243033210"