Western Australia saw a change of government on this day in 2017 when Mark McGowan lead Labor to victory over the Liberal Barnett Government.
Described as a landslide election result the Labor won 41 of the 59 seats in Legislative Assembly, the largest majority government result in the state’s history. The 12.2 per cent two party swing was the worst defeat ever suffered by a state government since federation.
Labor subsequently lost the seat of Darling Range at a by-election after it was revealed that their candidate Barry Urban had forged his credentials and fabricated his background. In 2021, he was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
The win saw Mark McGowan installed as the 30th Premier of the state. At the 2021 election the McGowan Government increased their majority to 53 of the 59 seats in the lower house, pushing the Liberal party into minority party status, while also gaining a majority in the Legislative Council.
Mark McGowan stepped down as Premier in 2023 and was replaced by Roger Cook. Cook took Labor to a third term in 2025.
Since forming government WA Labor have been criticised for being slow to act on LGBTQIA+ issues, taking a vague stance on conversion practices banned in other states, de-funding Inclusive Education WA (formerly known as Safe Schools). The government is also yet to take action on reform to the Equal Opportunity Act.
While in power Labor have introduced the legislation relating to historical homosexual convictions, removed the WA Gender Reassignment Board, and updated surrogacy laws.
John Barrowman celebrates his birthday
British-American actor John Barrowman is also celebrating his birthday today. Before making his mark as the pansexual time traveller Captain Jack Sparrow in Doctor Who and spin off series Torchwood, Barrowman was best known for his work in musical theatre.
He started his West End career in the late 1980’s appearing in Anything Goes alongside Elaine Paige and Bernard Cribbins. He went on to appear in Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Sunset Boulevard and Company.
Barrowman’s TV career began with the short lived US drama Central Park West which he appeared in alongside Mariel Hemingway, Mädchen Amick, Lauren Hutton and Raquel Welch.
One TV role he missed out on was playing Will Truman in Will and Grace. Producers apparently though Barrowman came across and being too straight, and decided to cast Eric McCormick instead.
Barrowman’s best-known role though is as Captain Jack in Doctor Who and spin-off Torchwood. He first played the time travelling detective in 2005 and has reprised the role several times, last appearing alongside Jody Whittaker in 2021.
In 2021 it was confirmed that while he’d been filming Doctor Who a decade earlier producers had reprimanded the actor for exposing his penis on set. Stories of Barrowman’s on-set hijinks had been documented many times, and were even mentioned in his autobiography.
However in 2021 allegation of sexual harassments were levelled against co-star Noel Clarke, which drew attention to accounts of Barrowman’s behaviour on set not only on Doctor Who but other stage and screen productions.
The actor issued an apology saying his “high-spirited behaviour…was only ever intended in good humour to entertain colleagues on set and back stage ” and “At no point was I ever made aware of any sexual harassment, bullying, or sexually predatory behaviour on set and I was certainly not aware of the allegations about Noel Clarke.” Clarke has denied the allegations made against him and is currently involved in legal action against publishers who reported the story.
In September 2024 Barrowman shared in an interview that he’d become depressed, contemplating self-harm and suicide in the wake of the scandal. He also shared that his career had come to a grinding halt. That year he took part in the British version of the TV series Celebrity SAS and launched a one man stage show called Laid Bare.
OIP Staff, This post was originally published in 2020, and has subsequently been updated
