Jackie Jarvis named Mid West Minister while John Carey takes charge of Geraldton hospital upgrade in new role

The Cook Government’s new minister for the Mid West is a Margaret River winemaker, while Housing and Planning Minister John Carey will now be in charge of the construction timeline of Geraldton’s hospital upgrade. They are just two of many changes announced this week as Premier Roger Cook’s new Cabinet was sworn in. After Labor suffered strong swings against it in regional WA, Mr Cook has reinstated a Carpenter-era measure of nine regional portfolios, with Jackie Jarvis handed the Mid West. Although she is from the South West, Ms Jarvis is responsible for some key areas relevant to the Mid West, retaining agriculture, food and small business and adding fisheries to her role amid the Cabinet reshuffle. “I’m eager to continue working with industry across my portfolios, delivering for Western Australians and being a strong voice for our regional communities in Cabinet,” Ms Jarvis said. The Premier’s decision to split the troubled health portfolio between four ministers has created some confusion. While new Health Minister Meredith Hammat will be in charge of the system’s day-to-day operations, Mr Carey has been appointed Minister for Hospital Infrastructure while Sabine Winton and Simone McGurk have been assigned responsibility for preventative health and aged care respectively. Mr Carey will take charge of the construction timetable for upgrades at Geraldton, Albany, Midland and Royal Perth Hospital. “What the Premier has done, and I think it is very smart, is it recognises that we have a massive infrastructure program and that there should be a lead minister for that,” Mr Carey said. “It is a natural fit to have a minister who is already responsible for housing, housing construction, planning and lands to also have a works portfolio and to create a separate stream and accountability and oversight over building hospitals and major projects.” Nationals leader Shane Love said the creation of regional portfolios would be “simply tokenistic” without an increase in resources for regional development commissions and the restoration of Royalties for Regions. “Carving up regional development to Perth-based ministers with limited ties to the communities they’re tasked to represent will not address the complex challenges regional communities face,” he said. In other Cabinet moves, Stephen Dawson takes on regional development and ports, Tony Buti becomes Attorney-General, former health minister Amber-Jade Sanderson is now Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation, David Michael retains the mines portfolio, and Reece Whitby replaces Paul Papalia as Police Minister. Hannah Beazley remains Local Government Minister and takes on the Gascoyne portfolio.