Peter Law: Consensus-builder McGowan transforms to hard-nosed leader

When I started this job three years ago, Mark McGowan was about to achieve what at the time looked like one of his defining political achievements — legalising voluntary assisted dying.

The landmark legislation was the result of a combination of consensus-building behind the scenes and overt political pressure on conservative Liberal MPs not to delay its passage.

Twelve months later, in December 2020, I sat down with the Premier for an end-of-year interview to reflect on the first year of COVID, which had been dominated by the border debate.

I asked what he had learnt being the State’s leader during the pandemic. “Keep going when times are tough — never give in,” he replied without hesitation.

“Always do what you think is right, rather than caving into whoever’s complaining the loudest. If you do that, you are generally on the right track.”

On reflection, that response was a signal Mark McGowan 2.0 had arrived and I do wonder if his Government would have approached VAD differently — more forcefully — had it been an issue post-COVID.

Along with the skilled worker shortage, rip-off air fares and work from home, the evolution of McGowan’s leadership style is a legacy of the pandemic.

He hasn’t labelled himself as “a bit of bulldozer” like former prime minister Scott Morrison famously did, but McGowan has certainly attached a metaphorical snow plough.

Those “complaining the loudest” in 2020 were border critics such as the Morrison Government, Clive Palmer, right wing media pundits and sections of the business lobby.

More recently, his critics have swelled to include two former Labor premiers — Carmen Lawrence and Peter Dowding — as well as ex-judges and one of WA’s most respected people, Professor Fiona Stanley.

On Sunday, Stanley described the youth detention summit as “very disappointing”, contradicting McGowan’s insistence none of the attendees wanted an inquiry into the issue and called for him to “take notice” of the research.

“At the end of the day, I think I have a fundamental difference of opinion with some people,” McGowan said in response to her criticism, labelling Professor Stanley and others who want to end the detention of juvenile offenders as “activists”.

“I just don’t think some of the activists are really dealing with the real world — I have to deal with the real world,” he said of the suggestion that teens detained at Unit 18 at Casuarina Prison be relocated to Banksia Hill by Christmas.

McGowan’s on politically safe ground with this populist tough-on-crime attitude, but his dismissal of “activists” was just the latest example of an increasingly hard-nosed approach to governing.

Instead of convincing the attendees at his summit that he really was listening by including them in the decision-making process, the Government gave the impression it had pre-determined outcomes by announcing a $63m funding package just four days later.

Without getting into too much psychoanalysis, McGowan has fronted the media on a dozen occasions in just 23 days in November. He could have left most of these announcements to his Cabinet ministers given they included a music festival in Fremantle, a review of liquor licensing laws and a bushfire information campaign launch.

Instead, journalists are given near daily access to one of Australia’s best-known politicians, who fields questions on any and all subjects — plenty of which are outside his Government’s responsibility. His hot takes would make for an entertaining newspaper column if he’s looking for something to do when he retires.

On the Aboriginal teenager recently bitten by a police dog: “A 13-year-old should be home in bed, that’s where they should be, not allegedly breaking into homes and cars with adults carrying weapons. It’s shocking behaviour.”

On the gas industry’s brawl with the Albanese Government over power prices: “The industry needs to sit down with Government and come up with solutions to that. If it means there is a bit of pain to be worn across the industry, well then so be it.”

On why so few Year 12 students in WA are studying ATAR subjects: “People see a pathway to university where you don’t have to necessarily do ATAR or necessarily try hard . . . I think this needs review as to whether this is wise.”

I would rightly be called a hypocrite for criticising the frequency of his media appearances and frankness of his answers given the press gallery ask daily if he’ll front up, while his advisers obviously have a political strategy to dominate the news cycle.

There does come a tipping point, however, for all political leaders where the public decide they’ve had enough of a good thing. The question is whether McGowan will pick that moment before them.