Government’s lack of ‘interest’ in agriculture expected to continue as successors line up to replace McGowan

WA’s agriculture industry is hoping for a more interested premier to replace Mark McGowan, who will leave politics this week after his bombshell resignation.

Mr McGowan rocked the political landscape on Monday when he announced he would be retiring after six years in the top job, citing exhaustion as the main reason.

As Countryman went to press on Tuesday, Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson had received the backing of Labor’s Left faction, leaving fellow leadership hopefuls Deputy Premier Roger Cook and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti to decide whether they would stand against her.

The next State election is due in March 2025.

McGowan’s announcement was a surprise to leaders of the agricultural community but after the way they said he had treated the regions, some were “glad to see him go”.

WAFarmers president and former WA Nationals Party candidate John Hassell said he was “never happy with him” after he felt the State Government was out to punish WA agriculture.

“McGowan pretended that he supported the live export trade but we never saw any evidence of it,” Mr Hassell said.

“He kept people out of the State during COVID, which made it hard getting labour on farms — which made it tough.”

Mr Hassell said the outgoing Premier did not seem to be interested in agriculture.

“If there is no agriculture and no mining we wouldn’t have a State,” he said.

“He ripped the guts out of the country and put all the funding in the city.

“I’m glad to see him go.”

Mr Hassell said there was plenty of talent in the Labor Party room and he hoped McGowan’s replacement would show some leadership and “bring the whole State along together”.

Pastoralists and Graziers Association president Tony Seabrook was less determined to see Mr McGowan go because of the lack of interest in agriculture among the Labor leadership contenders.

“It is exactly how he said it — he’d made his contribution,” Mr Seabrook said.

“His WA Government is no great friend of agriculture.

“While the current Minister (Jackie Jarvis) has a background in agriculture and business, there’s no one else in the party, so I don’t believe things will be any different.”

Mr Seabrook said while there were many accolades being heaped on the outgoing Premier he had a “comfortable run” with massive budget surpluses and a majority government.

“Whoever takes on the top job, I’d like to see them show a little more interest in agriculture,” he said.

Mr McGowan leaves behind a legacy of “Fortress WA” during COVID, court appearances with mining magnate Clive Palmer, a differing position to the Morrison Government’s approach to China, a better deal on GST, a historic South West Native Title Settlement with the Noongar people, closing the Collie Coal Mine by 2027, the banning of native logging, Upper House electoral changes — as well as animal welfare, cultural heritage and firearm legislation reforms, to name a few.

Mr McGowan led a Labor Party that enjoyed the largest majority in the State’s history after the 2021 election with almost 70 per cent of the vote, two-party preferred, winning 53 out of the 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly.

The election is the most decisive result at any Australian State or Federal election since Federation in terms of percentage of Lower House seats controlled by the governing party (89.8 per cent), and two-party preferred margin (69.7 per cent–30.3 per cent).

Labor’s unprecedented victory extended to the Legislative Council, and the party claimed a majority of the seats in the Upper House for the first time.