The Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer in the Legislative Assembly. The office has existed since the creation of the Legislative Assembly in 1890 under the Constitution Act 1889. The 32nd and current Speaker is Labor MLA Stephen Price, who has held the role since the 2025 state election.

The role of the Speaker The Speaker is elected to the position by a ballot of the members of the Legislative Assembly from among its members after being nominated by the Premier of Western Australia. It is generally a partisan position; the governing party almost always installs one of its members in the position. As with the other states and territories, the Speaker continues to attend party meetings and stands at general elections as a party candidate, if they are indeed a member of a party. There is no convention that the Speaker should be unopposed for reelection.

On the other hand, the Speaker is not a political figure like those in the United States. The Speaker does not take part in debates in the House, does not vote in the House except in the (rare) event of a tied vote, and does not speak in public on party-political issues (except at election time in his or her own constituency).

The Speaker's principal duty is to preside over the Assembly. The occupant of the chair must maintain order in the House, uphold the Standing Orders (rules of procedure) and protect the rights of backbench members. The Speaker is expected to conduct the business of the House in an impartial manner, and generally does so. The Speaker is assisted by a member-elected Deputy Speaker, who is usually also of the governing party.

List of speakers of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly Order Speaker Party Term begin Term end Term of office Notes 1 Sir James George Lee-Steere Ministerial 30 December 1890 30 November 1903 1 2 Charles Harper Opposition 2 December 1903 27 July 1904 days 1 3 Mathieson Jacoby Independent 28 July 1904 27 October 1905 1 4 Timothy Quinlan Ministerial 23 November 1905 8 October 1911 1 5 Frank Troy Labor 1 November 1911 13 February 1917 6 Edward Bertram Johnston Country 13 February 1917 1 March 1917 days 7 James Gardiner Country 1 March 1917 28 June 1917 days 8 George Taylor National Labor 19 July 1917 23 July 1924 9 Thomas Walker Labor 24 July 1924 29 July 1930 10 Sydney Stubbs Country 30 July 1930 17 July 1933 11 Alexander Panton Labor 18 July 1933 24 March 1938 12 William Johnson Labor 4 August 1938 2 August 1939 days 13 Joseph Sleeman Labor 3 August 1939 31 July 1947 14 Charles North Liberal 31 July 1947 5 August 1953 15 Aloysius Rodoreda Labor 6 August 1953 1 August 1956 16 James Hegney Labor 2 August 1956 29 June 1959 17 John Hearman Liberal 30 June 1959 23 March 1968 18 Hugh Guthrie Liberal 25 July 1968 20 February 1971 19 Merv Toms Labor 15 July 1971 8 October 1971 days 20 Daniel Norton Labor 16 November 1971 30 March 1974 21 Sir Ross Hutchinson Liberal 22 May 1974 19 February 1977 22 Ian Thompson Liberal 24 May 1977 21 March 1983 23 John Harman Labor 22 March 1983 8 February 1986 24 Mike Barnett Labor 10 June 1986 17 June 1993 25 Jim Clarko Liberal 17 June 1993 14 December 1996 26 George Strickland Liberal 6 March 1997 10 February 2001 27 Fred Riebeling Labor 1 May 2001 6 September 2008 28 Grant Woodhams Nationals 6 November 2008 9 March 2013 29 Michael Sutherland Liberal 11 April 2013 11 March 2017 30 Peter Watson Labor 11 May 2017 29 April 2021 31 Michelle Roberts Labor 29 April 2021 8 April 2025 32 Stephen Price Labor 8 April 2025 Incumbent

Members of the Legislative Assembly were not officially associated with organised parties until 1904.

See also

President of the Western Australian Legislative Council

References

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly