Comments on: WA pollies square off … over who hates Canberra more

By: Tim Macknay

Tim Macknay — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 02:39:44 +0000

Mack Jays: “if the stars aligned” = “never”.

By: CML

CML — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:02:22 +0000

Doesn’t seem to have occurred to those greedy people currently inhabiting WA, that the rest of Oz, especially the eastern seaboard states, substantially propped up the west for well over 100 years.
To return that favor, WA has a loooong way to go. What a mob of whingers!
Also, can WA alone decide their secession? Surely the rest of Australia has some say. After all they entered into a “commonwealth” under law in 1901.

By: Scott Grant

Scott Grant — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 05:34:43 +0000

As an ex West Australian, living in Sydney for many years, I have often been bemused at the way the distribution of federal taxes is viewed in different places. Essentially, the local media in both cities present a view that the locals are being ripped off by those greedy people in the other states. It sells newspapers and fires up viewers and listeners. Unfortunately it is not a very good way of determining public policy. But that’s democracy as we know it.

Perth IS isolated. For most people, to get to and from other major centres, the airfare is not trivial and nor is the travel time. The drive is enjoyable, but for those who are employed, just driving to Perth and back, from Sydney, takes up almost half one’s annual leave. I have driven from Sydney to Adelaide in a day. But Sydney to Perth takes me around four days and three nights, if I stop to sleep.

For all that the internet has changed communication, I suspect most people still get their information about the world from the local media: newspaper, radio and television. All media is parochial to some extent. Even Crikey has a Melbourne bias some of the time. Perfectly understandable. But I do think Perth media is in a league of its own, and this feeds and reinforces the sense of Us and Them, or, should I say WEST Australians and those eastern staters.

By: Mack Jays

Mack Jays — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 03:45:39 +0000

I disagree @ Tim Macknay. I think people take it very seriously over here. It’s evident in the fact that any random person on the street in Perth has an opinion on GST distribution. If the stars aligned I don’t think it is inconceivable that Western Australia would have a serious conversation about secession. The anti-Canberra rhetoric in this election campaign has been visceral.

By: Danny McNeil

Danny McNeil — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 03:27:47 +0000

Good article. Interesting to see if McGowan’s rhetoric changes if he has a surprise win on the weekend.

By: Tim Macknay

Tim Macknay — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 03:20:26 +0000

The WA secession referendum was in 1933, not 1993.

Western Australians like to joke about secession from time to time, but nobody apart from a couple of cranks really takes it seriously.

By: wayne robinson

wayne robinson — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 02:29:42 +0000

And also, at the simultaneous state election held in 1933, the anti-secession Labor Party was also elected, which decided to not push the issue.

By: Susie Smith

Susie Smith — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 02:26:51 +0000

“It is also only state to have held a referendum on secession, to which the public voted a resounding “yes” in 1993.”

- actually the referendum on secession took place in 1933 not 1993.

By: Holden Back

Holden Back — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:26:16 +0000

Good off they go - then the boat people problem will be their alone!