David Templeman claims front-bench spot

Premier-elect Mark McGowan’s new ministerial team was elected at a meeting of Labor members of parliament in Perth on Wednesday.

The long-serving MP was expected to be appointed to a senior portfolio after serving on the front bench as minister for community development, child protection and the Peel in 2008 when Labor was last in office.

Mr Templeman said he was thrilled and humbled to be a minister.

“It’s a great privilege and a great sense of responsibility because we have some very important work to do with regard to lifting employment in Western Australia, making sure WA people get WA jobs and also making sure we recognise we have to get the budget under control,” he said.

“The budget we’ve been left looks like it’s in disarray and that needs to be managed very carefully and we’ve got to turn that around.”

Mr Templeman said he also hoped to be a strong voice in the cabinet for the Peel region.

“I’ll be reaching out to Zak Kirkup and I congratulate him on his election as the new member for Dawesville,” he said.

“I don’t believe one side of politics has a mortgage on all the ideas of what we need to do to turn this around, so I’ll be seeking to include Zak in what we do going forward because that’s important for his electorate that people feel included and know that we’re going to be acting in everyone’s interests no matter whether they voted for us or not.”

Other ministers elected included Michelle Roberts, Alannah MacTiernan and Mick Murray.

Mr McGowan said he would announce his portfolio allocations on Thursday before the new ministry is sworn in on Friday.

“From this point forward the hard work begins to make Western Australia a stronger, fairer state, which I know we’ll do,” Mr McGowan said in his speech to the Labor caucus.