Roger Cook says plan to change WA election date is just precaution to be ‘ready for any particular scenario’

Premier Roger Cook has discussed options to move the WA state election date with the State Opposition but won’t ask the Prime Minister to rule it out amid growing speculation a Federal poll could be called for the same day. Mr Cook said on Tuesday that his office instigated legal advice but that it “might have been” based on suggestions by others around the same time he had discussions with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “It’s advice that I’ve sought because I understood there will be a Federal election sometime in the first half of the next year,” he said. “So any government responsibly managing the situation would obviously be aware of all contingencies... “It might have been (suggested) ... it would have come out of conversations and discussions in my office, obviously with the electoral commissioner as well.” When asked if the Prime Minister suggested it, he said it was not a ‘result’ of conversations with Anthony Albanese. “It’s just about ensuring we are ready for any particular scenario,” he said. Federal Labor sources claim May is still the “default” option, but an earlier election is being considered. Mr Cook said the Prime Minister had not requested WA to move its election date from March 8 but was keeping his options open. “Obviously, the Prime Minister and I talk about a range of issues, and one of the issues was about the timing of the election,” he said. “No, he did not share with me when that timing would be. “Only one person can tell you when the Federal Election is, and that’s the Prime Minister, and I wouldn’t insult his intelligence by popping the question.” He called Opposition suggestions that he’s struck a ‘tricky deal’ with Mr Albanese “entirely false”. The State Government’s legal advice has not been released, but the WAEC has confirmed that the state election’s fixed date of March 8 will not go ahead if a Federal poll is held on the same day. The state election can be automatically delayed one week, but the Opposition Leader must agree that extraordinary circumstances require it to be further delayed until March 22 to avoid simultaneous early voting. Opposition Leader Shane Love said shifting the date would throw polling into chaos. “There are many other Saturdays that the Prime Minister could choose,” he said. At a joint announcement with Federal Skills Minister Andrew Giles in Clarkson, Mr Cook awkwardly dismissed claims senior Ministers were worried about the presence of an unpopular Prime Minister on the WA campaign trail. “Well, look, I don’t believe he is unpopular,” Mr Cook said. “I don’t want to change the date; I’m ready for the election. This is a date that we’ve been working towards for a long time, and obviously, I’d be delighted if we could just continue to move forward to the eighth of March. That’s my focus.”