Premier of Western Australia
| Premier of Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Style | The Honourable |
| Appointer | Governor of Western Australia |
| Term length | At the Governor's pleasure |
| Inaugural holder | John Forrest |
| Formation | 29 December 1890 |
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The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive branch of government in the Australian state of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions.
The incumbent Premier of Western Australia since the 2008 election is Colin Barnett of the Liberal Party of Australia.
The premier must be a member of one of the two Houses of the Parliament of Western Australia; by convention the premier is a member of the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. He or she is appointed by the governor on the advice of the lower house, and must resign if he or she loses the support of the majority of that house. Consequently, the premier is almost always the leader of the political party or coalition of parties with the majority of seats in the lower house.
The office of premier of Western Australia was first formed in 1890, after Western Australia was officially granted responsible government by Britain in 1889. The Constitution of Western Australia does not explicitly provide for a premier, and the office was not formally listed as one of the executive offices until the appointment of Ross McLarty in 1947. Nonetheless, John Forrest immediately adopted the title on taking office as first premier of Western Australia in 1890, and it has been used ever since.
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