Amber-Jade Sanderson, the Energy and Decarbonisation Minister of Western Australia, has publicly endorsed Roger Cook to lead the WA Labor party in the upcoming 2029 state election. During her address at the Labor state conference, she emphasized Cook’s leadership as vital for the party and the state’s future, quelling recent speculation regarding his political trajectory.
In a notable turn of events, Cook faced scrutiny last month when he avoided committing to his role as party leader while speaking at a Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA lunch. When questioned about his intentions for the 2029 election, he remarked, “That’s a question for a range of people…my caucus will make some decisions about these things, as will the people of Western Australia.”
Sanderson Advocates for Cook’s Vision
Sanderson firmly stated that Cook’s leadership is essential, saying, “I’ve said before, and I say it again, the caucus made the right decision when they backed Roger in June 2023, and the election result and the community resoundingly endorsed that decision.” She highlighted Cook’s strong vision for Western Australia and expressed her gratitude for being part of a unified team supporting his agenda.
Cook reassured that his decision to remain as party leader would not foster dissent among ministers. “Well, I want my ministers to be ambitious,” he noted. “We have not only a strong cabinet with some very high performing cabinet ministers, but we’ve also got a really deep backbench, some young people who are coming through who will put my team under pressure in relation to their spots within the Ministry.”
He elaborated on the broader implications of his leadership, stating, “It goes beyond the current election cycle. It’s about changing the whole way our economy works, and it’s about creating the jobs, the health, and the housing that we need to continue to take this state forward.”
Focus on Local Green Steel Initiatives
During the conference, Cook and Sanderson also announced a new plan aimed at utilizing local green steel for significant government projects. “My government will seek suppliers to provide local green steel for major government projects, including the hospital developments that we announced in recent days,” Cook declared. He emphasized that locally produced green steel is integral to his vision of transforming Western Australia into a renewable energy powerhouse.
Sanderson outlined the initiative in two key parts. She described the potential for developing a green iron industry alongside a green steel recycling sector. “We have enormous amounts of steel infrastructure, oil and gas infrastructure that gets decommissioned, that can be recycled into new steel products that can be used,” she stated. “The second part is the green iron sector, which is a precursor to the broader green steel industry.”
With Western Australia being the world’s largest exporter of iron ore, Sanderson indicated that there are significant opportunities to process this ore domestically using the abundant renewable energy available in the region. “To decarbonize the steel supply chain, we need to be providing an opportunity to process that ore onshore,” she said.
As the state prepares for the 2029 election, Sanderson’s endorsement of Cook and the focus on sustainable practices highlight a commitment to not only political stability but also to environmental progress in Western Australia.
