Roger Cook

Roger Hugh Cook (born 20 August 1965) is an Australian politician who is the current premier of Western Australia, in office since June 2023 as leader of WA Labor. He was previously deputy premier of Western Australia from 2017 to 2023. Cook was born in Perth and holds degrees from Murdoch University and Curtin University. Prior to being elected to parliament he was involved in student politics, serving as the first president of the National Union of Students, and worked as a public relations consultant and in management roles with Aboriginal corporations. Cook was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly at the 2008 state election, representing the seat of Kwinana. He was elected deputy leader of the Labor Party ten days after first being elected to parliament, and held this position until his appointment as leader of the party in 2023. He held senior ministerial office under Mark McGowan from 2017 to 2023, before being elected as McGowan's successor after his mid-term resignation. Early life Cook was born on 20 August 1965 in Cottesloe, Western Australia. He is the youngest of seven children born to Hugh David Cook, a child psychiatrist, and Lynette Ada Owen, an early childhood educator. Cook grew up in the suburb of Claremont and was educated at Scotch College. As a teenager he represented Western Australia in rugby union. Cook graduated from Murdoch University with a Bachelor of Arts in public administration and later completed a graduate diploma in business (public relations) and a Master of Business Administration at Curtin University. Whilst at Murdoch, he became involved in student politics, serving as a student representative on the university's senate. He was also involved in the establishment of the National Union of Students in mid-1986, becoming its first national president as a representative of the National Organisation of Labor Students.