Election | Premier at election | Premier's party | Premier after election | Premier's party |
---|---|---|---|---|
WA 6 September 2008 | Alan John Carpenter | Australian Labor Party | Colin James Barnett | Liberal Party |
Previous period in this series for WA | Next period in this series for WA
Change of party leader: (Gallop) Beginning of Carpenter's period in office: Premier Gallop announced his resignation and immediate departure from Parliament on 16 January 2006. 'Premier Geoff Gallop's admission that he was suffering from clinical depression was received with surprise and a measure of sadness', Harry H C Phillips and Liz Kerr, 'Western Australia', Australian Journal of Politics and History, Political Chronicle, 52(4) December 2006: 661-666, at 662. Premier Gallop's resignation was effective from 3 February 2006 and, with the unanimous support of the Labor caucus, Carpenter became Premier of an Australian Labor Party majority government.
Loss of general election: At the general election for the Legislative Assembly held on 6 September 2008, no party won a majority of seats. After negotiations between the Liberal Party, the National Party and the three Independents, Barnett was able to form a coalition minority government. Premier Carpenter resigned as Premier with effect from 23 September 2008.
References: The Australian Journal of Politics and History has provided brief surveys of Western Australian politics since 1956 in the 'Political Chronicle' section of the journal in issues of each annual volume. This publication can be viewed online through Wiley-Blackwell Journals at subscribing libraries.
Government of Western Australia, Western Australian Government Gazette, Perth, Friday, 3 February 2006 No. 28 Special; online at:
http://www.slp.wa.gov.au/gazette/gazette.nsf/gazlist/242CF0A2D4E97B3C4825710A0027834D/$file/gg028.pdf
Government of Western Australia, Western Australian Government Gazette, Perth, Tuesday, 23 September 2008 No. 163 Special; online at:
http://www.slp.wa.gov.au/gazette/gazette.nsf/searchgazette/5D9D2CC6BABD2599C82574CD0022589E/$file/gg163.pdf