WA Threatens to split from Australia

WA Threatens to split from Australia

www.perthnow.com.au

PREMIER Colin Barnett says WA will split from Canberra if the Federal Government doesn't reward the state for driving the national economy.

"That's not a threat. It's reality," Mr Barnett said.

While he said a formal separation from the rest of Australia was not on the agenda, relations with Canberra would become "negligible" if revenue created in the state kept being shifted east.

And he said the ramifications would not just be for the national economy, but for the broader Australian society including sport.

"There would be very little relationship and the WA economywould be fully integrated as part of Asia," he said.

"It's a trend you may see over the next 20 years.

"I think that's a bit of a problem for Australia it would be a bit of a problem for Canberra.

"Unless Canberra gets up to pace with the WA economy we will simply move away from the rest of Australia and get closer and closer to Asia in every respect whether it's business, sport ... or whatever else."

In an interview to be screened on Sky News Australian Agenda today, Mr Barnett stopped short of saying WA should break away from the commonwealth, but in a veiled threat he said the West could survive on its own and was already heading in a very different direction to the rest of the country.

Buoyed by a fourth successive surplus since winning government in 2008 and predictions WA will be in the black for at least three more years, Mr Barnett said the rest of Australia was battling to keep up.

He said Asia was fast becoming WA's new best friend.

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Will Western Australia just get it over already and succeed, lol just kidding.
But seriously WA is severely under represented in the Commonwealth as it is mostly centered on the southern states of NSW and Victoria while WA and Queensland are always left out.
To be honest, I would actually support WA sucession. This continent is far too big for just one country. BUT if it does succeed (unlikely atm) then PM Gillard will not only be known as the worst PM in history but also as the decisive factor in the collapse of the Federation.
What do you guys think, should WA succeed?

www.perthnow.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

LOL, being from WAshingtom state I was like what? Then realized how narrow minded I was

I hope that the best action is taken.

WA shouldn't cut ties with Canberra. If i were Canberra, i would be pulling out all military bases and forces out of WA just in case they decide to succeed.

Originally posted by daaskapital
WA shouldn't cut ties with Canberra. If i were Canberra, i would be pulling out all military bases and forces out of WA just in case they decide to succeed.

And why shouldn't they succeed?
WA has lacked in proper funding by the Commonwealth for many years now, then the mining boom comes along and Canberra decides to hoard all their profits leaving nothing for the WA people.

The first attempt for succession was made in 1933. Take a look at the injustice.

At the 22 October 2008 Vista Public Lecture, former Western Australian Premier, Richard Court, indicated that the case for a secessionist movement is only strengthened while the Commonwealth government continues to exploit the State's resource-rich economy and fails to share the prosperity evenly.[8] He argued that Western Australia accounts for 35% of the nation's export income yet most of the revenue is used to strengthen the "financial muscle growing in Canberra". The state has approximately 9–10% of the nation's population, generates over 10% of the GST revenue, but receives only 6% of what is being distributed.[citation needed] Court highlighted that if the current Federation path continues, then by the year 2020, Western Australia will be receiving only 5% of what is being distributed by the Commonwealth Grants Commission. The former Premier said he was not advocating secession but stressed that the financial imbalance required addressing and that "the time to do so is now".

The Republic of Westralia is most definately on the horizon. I blame Gillard for all this, yes other governments contributed but her inept leadership has fractured the very Federation itself.

lol.. barring a cataclysmic geological event, WA is not gonna break from Australia

How about you stop the whinging WA and share the wealth with all Australians, we're in this together and the whole country needs infrastructure upgrades, not just WA.
However, I do agree that VIC and NSW seem to always get more than their share so that needs to be rectified.

I think this is how it's going to roll from here on out. The world will soon descend into chaos with on-going conflicts over natural resources. Not just countries fighting each other over this but states within countries declaring war on each other.

I visited West Aussie once and got the distinct impression that they consider themselves better than the east-coasters. Geographically speaking they might as well be another country anyway. I drove the nullabor in a kombi in the middle of summer and it seemed like an eternity. After about 20 hours I was wishing for aliens to abduct me !

Barnett's comments kind of sh.t me. If they didn't have all that precious stuff in the ground and off-shore, WA would be one big vast red-neck hell-hole. A real life Mad Max with a few Wolf Creeks thrown in for good measure . Anyway China's bubble is about to burst anyway - so we'll all be active participants in this Mad Max reality sooner or later.

Peace Out

reply to post by Funk bunyip


WA is sharing the wealth with the rest of Australia.

And that's the problem.

We provide a high percentage to the country's exports but get very little of the GST revenue.

It's lop sided and kudos to Barnett for standing strong on this issue.

reply to post by nimbinned


star for you

Hey WA, how about you use some of that mining cash and build a National high speed mag-lev transit system so we can all come over and give you a hug.

Originally posted by CrimsonKapital

Originally posted by daaskapital
WA shouldn't cut ties with Canberra. If i were Canberra, i would be pulling out all military bases and forces out of WA just in case they decide to succeed.

And why shouldn't they succeed?
WA has lacked in proper funding by the Commonwealth for many years now, then the mining boom comes along and Canberra decides to hoard all their profits leaving nothing for the WA people.

The first attempt for succession was made in 1933. Take a look at the injustice.

At the 22 October 2008 Vista Public Lecture, former Western Australian Premier, Richard Court, indicated that the case for a secessionist movement is only strengthened while the Commonwealth government continues to exploit the State's resource-rich economy and fails to share the prosperity evenly.[8] He argued that Western Australia accounts for 35% of the nation's export income yet most of the revenue is used to strengthen the "financial muscle growing in Canberra". The state has approximately 9–10% of the nation's population, generates over 10% of the GST revenue, but receives only 6% of what is being distributed.[citation needed] Court highlighted that if the current Federation path continues, then by the year 2020, Western Australia will be receiving only 5% of what is being distributed by the Commonwealth Grants Commission. The former Premier said he was not advocating secession but stressed that the financial imbalance required addressing and that "the time to do so is now".

The Republic of Westralia is most definately on the horizon. I blame Gillard for all this, yes other governments contributed but her inept leadership has fractured the very Federation itself.

edit on 19-5-2012 by CrimsonKapital because: error

While Western Australia has been treated unfairly (as has Queensland), it would be better for itself and Australia to remain one country. It will keep Australia stronger than what it would be if it were to be split. WA should grow up and stop whinging.

Originally posted by nimbinned
I think this is how it's going to roll from here on out. The world will soon descend into chaos with on-going conflicts over natural resources. Not just countries fighting each other over this but states within countries declaring war on each other.

I visited West Aussie once and got the distinct impression that they consider themselves better than the east-coasters. Geographically speaking they might as well be another country anyway. I drove the nullabor in a kombi in the middle of summer and it seemed like an eternity. After about 20 hours I was wishing for aliens to abduct me !

Barnett's comments kind of sh.t me. If they didn't have all that precious stuff in the ground and off-shore, WA would be one big vast red-neck hell-hole. A real life Mad Max with a few Wolf Creeks thrown in for good measure . Anyway China's bubble is about to burst anyway - so we'll all be active participants in this Mad Max reality sooner or later.

Peace Out

I know what you mean I've met a few Westralians and they all seemed to have a dislike for us east coasters. But I agree West Australia is MASSIVE, I think I read somewhere that stated if WA succeeded it would become the 7th largest country in the world? WA also has big potential though, if they want to compete with the east coast they would need to dig out an inland sea and connect it by channels from the southern ocean. Doing this they could use the water to irrigate the vast inland.

reply to post by CrimsonKapital


I think there are many US Marines in Australia.
I hope they do not get involved again where they do not belong.
Who am I kidding, we know why the foreign force is there...

Originally posted by Chadwickus
reply to post by Funk bunyip

 

WA is sharing the wealth with the rest of Australia.

And that's the problem.

We provide a high percentage to the country's exports but get very little of the GST revenue.

It's lop sided and kudos to Barnett for standing strong on this issue.

Personally I ask, do you support succession? I myself don't see any reason for them not too, even if the GST was equal for WA I think there would still be a succession movement there. The reason I think is because Australia is just so BIG and they are too far away from Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne AKA the Three Bitches.

reply to post by g146541


Why are they here?

Do tell...

Originally posted by g146541
reply to post by CrimsonKapital

 

I think there are many US Marines in Australia.
I hope they do not get involved again where they do not belong.
Who am I kidding, we know why the foreign force is there...

No, no you have it wrong the marines aren't manipulating this. It was the American CIA that plotted the coup against PM Rudd.

reply to post by CrimsonKapital


Succession?

No, not really.

But I am all for being more self sustained though.

For example, instead of selling iron ore to China and buying it back for a high price as steal, we should be smelting more of it ourselves.

He would have received a lot more respect from me, if he had actually had the spine to threaten formal secession.

We need a secession attempt from one of the non-East coast states. I want to see how Gillard would respond to it. I also like the idea of it finally providing us with solid proof of our lack of national sovereignty, where the Americans are concerned.

I know why those Marines are stationed in Brisbane, even if nobody else does.

WA has been trying to secede since 1933. Hell, even the area around Kalgoorlie wanted to create their own country in the 60s. If they were serious, they would have done it by now.

Wait till Australia becomes a republic (and it will happen, just a case of when), and then you'll see Western Australia break away and become their own country. God help us if they align with China though, it'll only be time before we becoem the meat in the sandwich between the US and the east.

reply to post by Chadwickus


I'm from SA so i do understand WA's point of view.. NSW and VIC have been stealing our water from the Murray forever, to the point where we had to build a frickin de-sal plant. The pollies live in the east so the east gets the coin... right.. i've flip-flopped.. take SA and NT with you WA!

Originally posted by Chadwickus
reply to post by CrimsonKapital

 

Succession?

No, not really.

But I am all for being more self sustained though.

For example, instead of selling iron ore to China and buying it back for a high price as steal, we should be smelting more of it ourselves.

edit on 19/5/12 by Chadwickus because: (no reason given)

I agree sustainability is important, especially with our population currently booming. We have ALL the raw materials needed in this country to make things ourselves, we just need to slap big taxes on importations to help with sustainable industry (manufacturing especially).

Also I myself support an independent Queensland free from Canberra for similiar reasons as WA. Both our states are treated unfairly and I think its time we showed them who really runs the economy.