OUTGOING West Australian treasurer Eric Ripper has been unanimously elected Opposition leader by the Labor caucus today, party spokesman Kim Chance says.
Roger Cook, who survived a knife-edge electoral win over Independent Carol Adams, is Mr Ripper`s deputy, PerthNOW has reported. He beat out former education minister Mark McGowan.
Former premier Alan Carpenter resigned as leader after the Nationals backed the Liberals to form government after the September 6 election resulted in a hung Parliament.
Mr Ripper, from the centre faction, yesterday gained the support of the powerful right faction, and is seen by some as a "safe pair of hands`` to guide Labor into Opposition.
"Opposition requires steadiness and it requires unity and clearly the ALP caucus made the decision that Eric Ripper would be better placed to supply the kind of unity that has been so obviously missing from the Liberal party over the last four years," Mr Chance said.
"We`re not going to fall into the same trap, what you`re going to find in our team is a team that`s ready to govern next month, if we have to. And we may have to."
The left faction reportedly met all day yesterday and was leaning towards supporting outgoing planning and infrastructure minister Alannah MacTiernan, also from the centre faction.
However Ms MacTiernan said after the meeting she decided not to contest a vote because it was clear she did not have the numbers.
The legislative council will be led by former minister Sue Ellery and her deputy will be Kate Doust.
