well said yabby

A better idea, draw a line of latitude just above Perth, create a separate state to the south of that line and let it secede. Join the new top bit to NT and make that a state as well. The "stuff" being mined is mostly being ripped from other areas of the state to feather the nest of those mostly living in Perth.

Those in Sou. West WA complaining of propping up the East engage in the very same behaviour they complain the Eastern states engage in, talk about cognitive dissonance.

Perhaps we should look to investigate the German idea of liquid democracy. I don't support any party en toto but I do support some ideas from every party and would like to vote that way. Our model is 100's of years old and as mentioned elsewhere, no longer reflective of a modern day Aus, where education, literacy and communication are much more ubiquitous.

Another idea might be to dissolve the states and the councils, strip some powers from the Federal lunatics (as well as dissolve the Senate), make smaller, powerful jurisdictions that take on the role of council and state and make them approachable.

Yabby,

No, my point was that foreign corporations would buy the state after 'independence' and run it, in cooperation with the local billionaires, on the Latin American/African model. After 20 years of pillage Oz would be faced with a Third World basket case on its Western border. I'm not sure that invasions, bushflies or Westfarmers(petty cash to the average US or Chinese corporation) have any relevance.

If a majority of Ausralians in a majority of states agree to WA's secession, good luck and 'hasta luego'.

Mac, you sound like some misogynistic husband, telling his bride that
she could not cope without him. Perhaps you are just nervous of
what you would do without WA, for frankly it would be "banana republic
here we come" Shuffling paper in Canberra is not going to pay
your global bills, I am afraid.

The WA economy has always been focussed globally. In the past,
we've just been stuck with overpriced ES inputs and regulations.
Personally I think we'd thrive without you.

Yabby,

I'm sure the trans-national corporations would thrive without the federal government and, as I wrote earlier, the local compradors would do very well indeed. Mines, once established, employ very little labour, so, I'm sceptical as to the efficiency of the long term 'trickle down effect' for most West Australians when most of the profits are repatriated.

Possibly the rest of Oz could be better off without WA and the resultant 'Dutch Disease' caused by the mining boom. Our dollar would depreciate and Australians would have to actually manufacture goods for export, like any other First World nation and we'd be free of the 'Lucky Country' syndrome.

You are correct on one point, Mac. It would do the Eastern States
a great deal of good, to have to adjust to the realities of the real
world, with nothing but the Eastern Australian peso to support it.
Boy would you kids grow up quick!

Unlike yourself, we generally don't have a hatred for corportations
and billionaires, we'd just make sure that they paid tax here, for
all our benefit.Right now it all goes to Canberra, for err admiministration and such like.

Miners don't need to employ lots of people. They employ contractors
who employ lots of people and provide lots of services. A good chunk
of the State has not even seen a drill hole, so it yet remains to be
seen what remains to be discovered.

At present, offshore gas royalties go to Canberra, WA wears the
onshore infrastructure costs. That would all change.

Then of course our WA agriculture is highly competitive and with no
Joe Ludwig to damage it like he did with the Indonesia fiasco, it
would thrive even more.

Interestingly the State does have a number of globally competitive
manufacturing industries. From Matrix Composites to ferries built
in Fremantle, to half million $ airseeder rigs being exported, they
would thrive without all the red tape and associated costs.

Frankly I can't think of anything that we actually need from the East.

We could even ditch all those 60 year old out of date UN Conventions
which no Eastern States politician has the testicles to challenge
and reform. Wow, lets do it!