The Western Australian Labor Party, officially known as WA Labor, is the Western Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It is the current governing party of Western Australia since winning the 2017 state election under Mark McGowan.
History The Western Australian state division of the Australian Labor Party was formed at a Trade Union Congress in Coolgardie in 1899. Shortly afterwards the federal Labor Party was formalised in time for Australian federation in 1901. The WA Labor Party achieved representation in the Western Australian Parliament in 1900 with six members; four years later, the party entered into minority government with Henry Daglish becoming the first Labor Premier of Western Australia.
Governance There are five layers of governance in the WA Labor Party. These governance layers are filled with people from the party's general membership, as well as delegates from affiliated unions to the party.
The five governance layers are:
The Branches The Federal Electorate Campaign Committees (FECC) The State Executive The State Conference, and The Administrative Committee
Of these governance layers, the only level at which ALP members directly participate in their membership capacity is at the branch level. However, branch members are able to be elected as delegates to participate at FECC meetings; and FECC participants in turn may be elected to participate at the State Executive and State Conference. Members of the Administrative committee are at regular intervals during the annual state conferences.
Affiliated trade unions are allocated voting delegates to participate at the State Conference and State Executive layers. Due to these legal rules, the ALP is strongly influenced by its affiliated trade unions. Additionally, union members who are a member of the ALP are allowed to participate in their personal capacity at branch meetings and FECC meetings; which is another, albeit indirect, means of influence at State Executive and Conference.
Of the five governance layers, the State Executive is notable for having the primary responsible for candidate preselection. Mostly for this reason, its control is the primary objective of party factions attempting to exert their influence. As of 2023, it is dominated by the Labor Left.
Branches Members of the WA Labor Party usually belong to a single branch, chosen by that member.
There are two types of branches; (1) Local branches, which are organised around a local geographic area, and (2) Direct branches, which are organised around a political issue or broader community group.
Branch members regularly meet to discuss political issues, socialise, meet ALP politicians, fundraise, and organise campaign activities. They also frequently pass resolutions, which act as public statements regarding the opinion of the branch on an issue.
Annually, each branch will elect a delegate to attend their relevant 'Federal Electorate Campaign Committee' this person will then vote on their behalf at FECC meetings. It is through this delegate that branch members have an indirect influence on ALP preselections.
Federal Electorate Campaign Committees Australia's federal electorates often contain multiple ALP branches within them. Each branch of the party elects a representative at their annual general meeting, and that delegate will attend the FECC covering their federal electorate.
FECCs meet regularly to discuss party issues. Each one elects delegates to represent it at the State Executive.
State Executive The state executive of the party is a singular body made up of various delegates. It meets multiple times per year. It is the chief administrative authority of the party, and is vested with the party's power in-between the annual state conferences. It is made up of 175 persons.
Its most noteworthy power is over preselections of ALP candidates for elections.
The State executive comprises
The State President, who presides and is allowed a casting vote All fourteen members of the party's Administrative Committee Eighty "political delegates": One delegate from the FPLP One delegate from the SPLP 78 Delegates elected by the FECCs
Eighty "union delegates" (allocated proportionally according to union membership numbers)
The current composition of the WA Labor State Executive is not publicly available information.
In recent history the WA State Executive has been dominated by the labor left faction, however, this is not always so. Decisions of the State Executive are often determined by whichever ALP factional combination is able to dominate the floor at a given point in time.
State Conference The party meets annually at its State Conference. It is the ultimate governing body of the State Party. The conference comprises delegates from Branches, affiliated unions, and ALP Parliamentary representatives. As the ultimate governing body, it has the power to overrule decisions of the State Executive, although this rarely occurs in practice.
The State Conference floor comprises
The State President, who presides and is allowed a casting vote All fourteen members of the party's Administrative Committee 150 "political delegates": One FPLP Delegate One SPLP Delegate The remainder being delegates from the various ALP branches, allocated proportionally based on the membership numbers of each branch. However, every branch with at least 30 or more members is entitled to at least one of the delegates 150 "union delegates" allocated by the State Executive in proportion to annual membership of each union in the previous calendar year
The composition of the State Conference floor for 2023 is not publicly available information.
In recent history the WA State Conference floor has been dominated by the labor left faction, however, this is not always so. Decisions of the State Conference are often determined by whichever ALP factional combination is able to dominate the floor at a given point in time.
Administrative Committee The party's administrative committee is ultimately responsible for the party's management and administration. The committee has 15 members, if the State President (who must preside) is included. At least 50% of committee is reserved for women.
Meetings of the committee are presided over by the State President. The position of State President is elected every two years through a mail-ballot of the party membership. This distinguishes them from other members that are decided instead at State Conference. At meetings of the administrative committee, the president is only allowed a casting vote.
The State Treasurer must attend all meetings but does not vote.
Therefore, meetings of the administrative committee are attended by
Ten members elected annually at State Conference Both the State Secretary and the Assistant State Secretary, each of whom are separately elected triannually at State Conference; one of whom must be a woman The leader of the State Parliamentary Labor Party A representative of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party The State Treasurer (who does not vote) The State President (who merely presides, and is allowed a casting vote)
Policy committees The party's policy committees are responsible for the party's development of the party platform between state conferences and elections. The committees are composed of elected convenors who are tasked with facilitating policy development at the party member level and secretaries who work at the parliamentary level.
Party leaders Party leaderAssumed officeLeft officePremierReason for departureHenry Daglish8 July 190427 September 19051904–1905Quit partyWilliam Johnson4 October 190527 October 1905ResignedThomas Bath22 November 19053 August 1910John Scaddan3 August 191010 April 19171911–1916Quit partyPhillip Collier16 April 191720 August 19361924–1930; 1933–1936ResignedJohn Willcock20 August 193631 July 19451936–1945RetiredFrank Wise31 July 194526 June 19511945–1947Resigned to be appointed Administrator of the Northern TerritoryBert Hawke26 June 195131 December 19661953–1959RetiredJohn Tonkin31 December 196615 April 19761971–1974RetiredColin Jamieson15 April 197621 February 1978Lost party room challenge to DaviesRon Davies21 February 197818 September 1981Lost party room challenge to BurkeBrian Burke18 September 198125 February 19881983–1988RetiredPeter Dowding25 February 199812 February 19901988–1990Lost party room challenge to LawrenceCarmen Lawrence12 February 19907 February 19941990–1993ResignedIan Taylor7 February 199412 October 1994Jim McGinty12 October 199415 October 1996ResignedGeoff Gallop8 October 199625 January 20062001–2006RetiredAlan Carpenter25 January 200616 September 20082006–2008Retired after 2008 election lossEric Ripper16 September 200823 January 2012ResignedMark McGowan23 January 20126 June 20232017–2023ResignedRoger Cook6 June 2023present2023–
Electoral performance Legislative Assembly Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Status 1897 None 383 4.38 1 3rd 1901 9,658 25.88 5 3rd 1904 Robert Hastie 28,122 42.57 16 1st 1905 William Johnson 18,364 35.07 8 2nd 1908 Thomas Bath 28,325 37.80 8 2nd 1911 John Scaddan 47,558 52.64 12 1st 1914 40,205 42.12 8 1st 1917 Philip Collier 20,867 24.79 11 1st 1921 35,829 36.81 2 1st 1924 39,679 40.39 10 1st 1927 63,687 45.33 1st 1930 52,824 38.44 4 1st 1933 82,702 45.48 7 1st 1936 57,055 42.33 4 1st 1939 John Willcock 92,585 45.02 1 1st 1943 77,567 43.28 3 1st 1947 Frank Wise 64,377 39.38 7 1st 1950 94,055 41.85 1st 1953 Albert Hawke 93,157 49.76 3 1st 1956 116,793 49.70 3 1st 1959 117,861 44.92 6 1st 1962 129,757 44.41 1 1st 1965 128,025 42.64 3 2nd 1968 John Tonkin 145,605 45.35 2 1st 1971 230,653 48.91 3 1st 1974 248,395 48.10 4 2nd 1977 Colin Jamieson 257,730 44.22 2nd 1980 Ron Davies 270,165 45.95 1 2nd 1983 Brian Burke 342,536 53.16 9 1st 1986 416,805 53.00 1st 1989 Peter Dowding 341,931 42.46 1 1st 1993 Carmen Lawrence 338,008 37.08 7 2nd 1996 Geoff Gallop 345,159 35.82 5 2nd 2001 382,308 37.24 13 1st 2005 448,956 41.88 1st 2008 Alan Carpenter 390,339 35.84 4 1st 2013 Mark McGowan 392,448 33.13 7 2nd 2017 557,794 42.20 20 1st 2021 846,116 59.92 12 1st 2025 Roger Cook 633,093 41.43 7 1st
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