Mark McGowan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Mark McGowan AC
McGowan in April 2014
30th Premier of Western Australia
In office 17 March 2017 – 8 June 2023
Monarch	Elizabeth II Charles III
Governor	Kerry Sanderson Kim Beazley Chris Dawson
Deputy	Roger Cook
Preceded by	Colin Barnett
Succeeded by	Roger Cook
Treasurer of Western Australia
In office 18 March 2021 – 8 June 2023
Preceded by	Ben Wyatt
Succeeded by	Rita Saffioti
Leader of the Western Australian Labor Party
In office 23 January 2012 – 6 June 2023
Deputy	Roger Cook
Preceded by	Eric Ripper
Succeeded by	Roger Cook
Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia Elections: 2013
In office 23 January 2012 – 17 March 2017
Premier	Colin Barnett
Deputy	Roger Cook
Preceded by	Eric Ripper
Succeeded by	Mike Nahan
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Rockingham
In office 14 December 1996 – 8 June 2023
Preceded by	Mike Barnett
Succeeded by	Magenta Marshall
Other ministerial offices Minister for Public Sector Management In office 17 March 2017 – 19 March 2021 Preceded by Bill Marmion Succeeded by Roger Cook Minister for Education and Training In office 13 December 2006 – 23 September 2008 Premier Alan Carpenter Preceded by Ljiljanna Ravlich Succeeded by Liz Constable Minister for the Environment In office 3 February 2006 – 13 December 2006 Premier Alan Carpenter Preceded by Judy Edwards Succeeded by Tony McRae Minister for Disability Services In office 13 October 2005 – 2 March 2007 Premier Geoff Gallop Alan Carpenter Preceded by Bob Kucera Succeeded by Margaret Quirk Minister for Tourism, Racing and Gaming In office 10 March 2005 – 13 December 2006 Premier Geoff Gallop Alan Carpenter Preceded by Nick Griffiths Succeeded by Sheila McHale John Bowler Minister for the Peel and South West In office 10 March 2005 – 23 September 2008 Premier Geoff Gallop Alan Carpenter Preceded by Norm Marlborough Succeeded by David Templeman
Personal details
Born	(1967-07-13) 13 July 1967 (age 57) Newcastle, New South Wales
Political party	Labor
Spouse	Sarah Miller ​ (m. 1996)​
Children	3
Residence	Rockingham, Western Australia
Education	Casino High School Coffs Harbour High School
Alma mater	University of Queensland
Profession	Lawyer politician
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Branch/service	Royal Australian Navy (1989–1996) Naval Reserve (1996–present)
Years of service	1989–present
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	HMAS Stirling
Awards	Commendation for Brave Conduct

Mark McGowan (born 13 July 1967) is an Australian former politician and naval officer. He served as the 30th Premier of Western Australia from 2017 until he retired in 2023. He was also the leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia from 2012 to 2023. For many years, he was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the area of Rockingham.

McGowan grew up in Newcastle, New South Wales. He studied at the University of Queensland and worked as a legal officer for the Royal Australian Navy. He was based at the naval base HMAS Stirling, near Perth. After settling in Western Australia, he became a local councillor for the City of Rockingham in 1994. He was then elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly in 1996.

In 2001, he became a special assistant to Premier Geoff Gallop. Later, he served as a Cabinet Minister in both the Gallop and Carpenter Governments from 2005 to 2008.

McGowan became the leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia in 2012. This made him the Leader of the Opposition. Even though his party lost the election in 2013, he remained leader. He then worked to regain public trust. McGowan became very popular and led Labor to a huge win in the 2017 election. This was the biggest majority government in the state's history at that time. He then became the 30th Premier of Western Australia.

During 2020, McGowan led Western Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. His approval rating reached a very high 91%. In the 2021 election, he led his party to an even bigger win. They won 53 out of 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly. This was the largest victory in Australian electoral history. He stepped down as premier and a member of parliament on 8 June 2023.

Early Life and Naval Service

Mark McGowan was born in Newcastle, New South Wales. He went to public schools in Casino and Coffs Harbour. In 1989, he earned a law degree from the University of Queensland. He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1984, inspired by Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

In 1989, he joined the Royal Australian Navy as a legal officer. This means he was a lawyer for the Navy. He served at the naval base HMAS Stirling and became a lieutenant. In 1996, he received a special award called a Commendation for Brave Conduct. He earned this for rescuing an unconscious driver from a burning car in 1995.

Starting in Politics

In 1994, after moving to Western Australia, McGowan was elected to the City of Rockingham Council. The next year, he became Deputy Mayor. He was then chosen to run for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly in the area of Rockingham. This happened in the 1996 election.

In the 2001 election, the Labor Party won. The new Premier, Geoff Gallop, made McGowan his Parliamentary Secretary. McGowan also helped manage Western Australia's 175th anniversary celebrations. He was also involved in the Bali Memorial Steering Committee.

After Labor won the 2005 election, McGowan was promoted. He became a Minister for Tourism, Racing and Gaming. Later that year, he became Minister for the Environment. During this time, he helped create the Department of Environment and Conservation. He also approved the Gorgon gas project.

In December 2006, McGowan became Minister for Education and Training. In this role, he changed how schools taught and reported progress. He also worked to attract and keep good teachers.

Leading the Opposition

McGowan speaking at a rally in 2014

After Labor lost the 2008 election, Alan Carpenter stepped down as Labor leader. McGowan decided not to run for leader at that time. He supported Eric Ripper, who became the new leader. McGowan did run for Deputy Leader but lost to Roger Cook.

Ripper then made McGowan the Shadow Minister for State Development. This meant McGowan was in charge of watching what the government did in these areas. He also managed the Opposition's work in the Legislative Assembly.

On 17 January 2012, Eric Ripper announced he would resign as leader. McGowan was then elected as the new Leader of the Opposition. Even though Labor lost the 2013 election, McGowan was not blamed. His colleagues agreed he should remain leader.

After the 2013 loss, McGowan started a "listening tour" around the state. He promised to make changes based on what people said. Soon, public support for the government began to drop. By 2015, McGowan was seen as the preferred Premier of Western Australia. He kept this strong position until the next election.

Premier of Western Australia (2017-2023)

At the 2017 election, McGowan led the Labor Party to a huge victory. Labor won 41 out of 59 seats. This was the largest majority government in Western Australian history. Labor gained 20 seats from the previous government. This was the biggest defeat for a sitting government in Western Australian history.

McGowan became the 30th Premier of Western Australia on 17 March 2017. Early in his time as Premier, he worked to limit foreign workers coming into the state. He also stopped the Perth Freight Link highway project, which many people disliked. He also reorganized different government departments.

On 1 May 2018, Kim Beazley became the new Governor. McGowan had recommended him for the role. Beazley was the first former politician to become governor since 1948. When Beazley's term ended in 2022, McGowan recommended Chris Dawson as his replacement. Dawson became Governor on 15 July 2022.

2021 Election Success

Before the 2021 election, the Labor Party had a big lead in opinion polls. Many thought McGowan's government would win another record majority. Labor's support was very high, and McGowan had an 88% personal approval rating. The Opposition Leader, Zak Kirkup, even admitted defeat before election day.

On 13 March 2021, WA Labor won the biggest victory in Australian history. They won 69.7% of the vote. They gained 13 seats, winning 53 out of 59 seats. This included almost all seats in Perth. Labor even defeated Kirkup in his own seat. McGowan's own seat became the safest in the state.

After winning, McGowan said the victory was "beyond humbling." He promised that his government would work hard to keep the support of Western Australians.

Second Term as Premier

McGowan announced his new team of ministers on 18 March 2021. He decided to also serve as his own treasurer. The treasurer manages the state's money. Before 2001, premiers often held this role.

After the 2021 election, McGowan announced a group to look at changing the Western Australian Legislative Council voting system. This was to make voting fairer. In September 2021, McGowan announced changes to the voting system. These changes included removing regions in the Legislative Council. That same month, he announced a large budget surplus of $5.6 billion for Western Australia.

On 13 December 2021, McGowan said Western Australia would fully open its borders on 5 February 2022. This was for people vaccinated against COVID-19. However, on 20 January 2022, he changed this decision. He said the Omicron variant was too contagious. He also said not enough people had received booster shots. On 18 February, McGowan announced the border would reopen on 3 March. This was for people from outside Australia and triple-vaccinated people from other states.

Resignation from Politics

On 29 May 2023, McGowan announced he would step down as premier. He also resigned as the member for Rockingham. He said he was tired from the constant demands of the job. McGowan formally resigned on 8 June. Roger Cook was then elected to take his place as leader and premier. Rita Saffioti became his deputy.

McGowan was given a high honour, a Companion of the Order of Australia, in 2024. This was for his great service to Western Australia.

Life After Politics

In August 2024, McGowan became the non-executive chairman of Frontier Energy. This is a company focused on renewable energy. He has also advised other large companies like BHP and Mineral Resources. He also joined an advisory board for Australia-China relations.

McGowan has said he does not miss politics. He feels he achieved everything he wanted to do. He never wanted to enter federal parliament.

Political Beliefs

McGowan has described his political approach as "centrist." This means he tries to appeal to a wide range of people. He believes this strategy helped him win the huge election victory in 2021.

As of 2021, McGowan was one of a few Labor politicians in the state parliament who were not part of a specific group or "faction" within the party.

Personal Life

Mark McGowan has been married to Sarah Miller since 1996. They have three children together.

Honours and Awards

McGowan received a Commendation for Brave Conduct in 1996 for his actions in the Navy.

He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2024. This is a very high honour given for outstanding service to Australia.

He also received honorary doctorates from the Tokyo City University in 2017 and the University of Western Australia in 2024.

Images for kids

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