New WA Labor Minister Hannah Beazley pledges no walkouts on Roger Cook similar to 2019’s union protest

New WA Minister Hannah Beazley has promised Premier Roger Cook she would not take part in a protest similar to the one she joined staged by the Labor right against his popular predecessor. Ms Beazley, the daughter of former Federal Labor leader Kim and the granddaughter of former Whitlam Government Minister Kim Snr, was sworn in as the Cook Government’s newest cabinet member on Friday. The Victoria Park MLA since 2021 was given the portfolios of Youth, Local Government and Assistant Training Minister as part of a contained cabinet reshuffle that saw relatively little change among WA Labor’s frontbench. Ms Beazley took part in a walkout at Labor’s 2019 State Conference during the Welcome to Country and a tribute to late Prime Minister Bob Hawke. The delegate walkout — leaving Mark McGowan to deliver his speech to a half-empty room — was staged by the party’s right faction, who protested attempts to disqualify a delegate from its aligned Maritime Union. Ms Beazley said she was not protesting the Welcome and said she walked out due to a union-related issue. “I didn’t walk out on the Welcome to Country. That happened due to internal credentialing issues amongst our unions and our members,” she said. When asked if she had assured Mr Cook a similar incident would not take place in the future, the newly minted minister replied “yes”. The Premier dismissed the incident as “ancient history” and said Ms Beazley would be a great member of his cabinet. “A week in politics is a long time and 2019 is ancient history,” Mr Cook said. “I lead a united Labor Party and we are working together well to provide effective government for the people of Western Australia. Ms Beazley said becoming a minister was “incredibly honouring and humbling”. “I just feel very privileged and I’m really looking forward to hitting the ground running and being fully briefed on my new ministries,” she said. “(They) are all really important portfolios and local government has a reform agenda ahead of it that I’m really looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into that.” Ms Beazley said she would receive briefings for each portfolio before prioritising what she would do as a minister. As a third-generation cabinet minister, she agreed it added pressure but said it was a ”healthy thing because it gives me even more to live up to”. “(My dad) has given me a lot of love to ensure that I have a safe space to learn because it can be difficult” Ms Beazley said. “No one has ever had as much pride in me as my dad does. So it was incredibly satisfying to be able to reward the faith that he’s had in me.” Her father attended the swearing-in at Government House and said it was a “totally prideful moment”. “My daughter got into ministry much faster than my father, which was about 19 years. And in my case it took three,” Mr Beazley said. “This is terrific.” The former Governor said the only advice he had given his daughter was “do it yourself”. “She is totally her own woman and has been always,” Mr Beazley said.