Joe Spagnolo: Roger Cook moves on from Mark McGowan's Labor

West Australian

21-06-2025

It appears Roger Cook is going all out to ensure the public is aware there is a new sheriff in town, and that Mark McGowan is well and truly part of Labor history.
The current Labor government, in terms of office and administrative personnel, has little resemblance to the one McGowan presided over. Cook has, for example, replaced his entire media team and appointed a new chief of staff since the March election.
And there was further evidence of transformational Labor in Thursday's State Budget.
Labor has finally stopped banging on about McGowan's Metronet, although project chief Rita Saffioti still resides over the remaining elements of the rail project — now eight years old — as Transport Minister and Treasurer.
Instead Cook, keen to leave his own legacy, is embarking on what he and Saffioti call a 'poles, pipes, ports and wires' era, which will see billions spent on new infrastructure, enabling WA to hopefully begin a new era of diversification, and safeguarding itself against its reliance on iron ore exports and China's economy.
If McGowan's catchcry was Metronet, Cook's and Saffioti's is diversification.
From here on, Labor will begin its Budget sell to the public, and in doing so begin the sell of a re-elected Labor Government keen on reinventing itself and positioning itself for a fourth term of government by winning the 2029 State election.
But reinvention comes with political risk.
And we've seen that in this Budget, with Cook and Saffioti rolling the dice and deciding to shelve Labor's annual power bill credits — which, incidentally, McGowan commenced in 2020.
Remember as a kid you would sit around a Christmas tree eagerly awaiting your presents? You either loved the gifts or were disappointed once you unwrapped the offerings.
CCIWA chief economist Aaron Morey loved what was under Saffioti's 'Christmas tree', citing Taylor Swift as he applauded big spends in ports, energy and water.
'A bit like Taylor Swift, the Government is shifting to a new era of infrastructure spend. We're moving from the Roads Era to the Industrial Era,' Morey said.
But welfare groups are not singing Swifty songs today.
In addition to power and water hikes of 2.5 per cent, car licence charges have gone up 3.9 per cent and driver's licence fees have gone up 2.9 per cent.
These are not huge increases by any means.
But the optics of these increases aren't great for a government that on Thursday announced a forecast $2.5 billion surplus for this financial year and a forecast $10 billion in surpluses through to 2028-29.
'We were disappointed not to see a total freeze on increases in fees and charges, particularly utilities, electricity and water, but also on transport licenses,' Anglicare WA Acting CEO & Director of Services Philippa Boldy said on Friday.
'By increasing fees and charges, people are getting further behind instead of getting an opportunity to move forward. If we take more money out of the pockets of people that are already struggling for the essentials they need to live, we're not being fair with WA's growth and the economic strength.'
Sure: the Government has softened the blow by announcing other initiatives such as the capping of public transport fares to one zone, saving some families and estimated $625 a year.
But getting rid of a measure that shaves about $400 a year from household power bills in the midst of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis is a big call.
What Cook is banking on is that West Australians will accept that investing in the future of WA will reap big benefits for the adults of tomorrow and generations to come.
This is a Budget for the future.
And in that sense Cook and Saffioti need to be applauded for recognising the fact that the rivers of gold — courtesy of iron ore exports to China — may well dry up into the future.
But more needs to be done to help WA's vulnerable who right now aren't singing Swifty tunes, but belting out 'Under Pressure' along with Davie Bowie and Freddie Mercury.