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West Australian Premier Roger Cook will take on tourism while his deputy Rita Saffioti’s transport portfolio has been expanded to cover major infrastructure under a cabinet shake-up revealed on Sunday.
The reshuffle, spurred by the resignation of former minister and Secret Harbour MP Paul Papalia at the start of the week, will also see first-term Landsdale MLA Daniel Pastorelli handed water, and the mines, petroleum and exploration portfolios.
Don Punch will take on Papalia’s old racing and gaming portfolio, while responsibility for corrective services will go to current Attorney-General Tony Buti.
Cook has also handed his state development portfolio to David Michael, adding to his existing oversight of finance, electoral affairs, and Goldfields-Esperance.
But the biggest shake-up revolves around the positioning of WA for a future in defence manufacturing, with Cook taking on the defence industries portfolio, and Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson to support the premier in an assistant minister for defence industries role.
The move anticipates the flurry of investment and development at Henderson, south of Perth, with the premier’s goal to develop WA as the biggest naval maintenance and shipbuilding hub in the Southern Hemisphere.
Saffioti’s expanded portfolio will incorporate “the development of new common user infrastructure to support the defence industry”, according to a government statement.
Meredith Hammat will add preventative health to her suite of portfolios, which dovetails with her existing health and mental health responsibilities.
Cook said diversifying WA’s economy underscored the government’s priorities in jobs, health and housing.
“In times like these, we need steady and experienced leadership and my government is the safe pair of hands who will always put WA first,” he said.
“The portfolios I’ve announced today deliver a strong economic team that will ensure we can seize the many opportunities in front of us, and withstand current and future global challenges.”
More to come.
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