Daniel Pastorelli Set to Become WA's Newest Minister

The former right-hand man to Mark McGowan and Roger Cook has completed a meteoric rise through the ranks of WA Labor and is almost certain to become the state's newest minister.

Multiple Labor sources have told the ABC first-term Landsdale MP Daniel Pastorelli has been chosen to replace retiring stalwart Paul Papalia in cabinet.

Mr Papalia announced his resignation on Monday to care for a seriously ill family member.

It threatened to spark a factional battle over his replacement, with Australian Manufacturing Workers Union secretary Steve McCartney taking to the state's daily newspaper to call for his union's pick, Kimberley MP Divina D'Anna, to get Mr Papalia's spot in cabinet.

But by early afternoon a deal had been done for Ms D'Anna to take Mr Pastorelli's role as cabinet secretary, and for him to move into cabinet, which the ABC has been told was Premier Roger Cook's preferred result.

Mr Pastorelli, who is on the right factionally, was elected to parliament just 16 months ago in the safe Labor seat of Landsdale and was quickly appointed cabinet secretary, a role often seen as a precursor to a seat in cabinet.

The premier is expected to announce his portfolios, and any consequential changes to the ministry, in coming days.

Pastorelli's rapid ascent

Mr Pastorelli served as Mark McGowan's communications director during his first term in government, before becoming his chief of staff from 2021 — a role he continued in when Mr Cook took over the top job in 2023.

His rapid rise is likely to cause some tension within Labor's 62-member caucus, but that could be offset by Mr Pastorelli's appointment bringing the party's right faction closer to a proportionate share of cabinet positions.

Had she been appointed, Ms D'Anna, would have been the first Aboriginal woman to serve as a minister in WA.

Mr Pastorelli also edged out long-serving parliamentary secretary Samantha Rowe for the position.

Mr Papalia's formal resignation from Parliament tomorrow will allow the process of holding a by-election to replace him in the southern Perth seat of Secret Harbour to begin.

The contest is being seen as a test of One Nation's popularity in WA, and how it would campaign against federal Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, whose electorate overlaps with the seat.