Economy

Talks of succession from America’s dystopian 50-state union are no means the exclusive domain of Texas, California and Hawaii, with fresh impetus emerging for Western Australia (WA) to operate as an independent nation with enough natural resources to fuel half the world’s industry. Admittedly, talk of WA’s secession from Australia’s six-state and two-territory commonwealth is far from new. Despite 66.2% of sand gropers – the colloquial nickname for residents of WA - voting in favour of secession in a 1933 referendum, the British Parliament at the time ruled it had no legal power to grant the request without the consent of the Australian Federal Government. Fast forward the best part of a century, and while WA’s constitution still allows for unilateral withdrawal - through a state referendum and legislation - there still doesn’t appear to be any unilateral mechanism for a state to leave the Commonwealth. In short, the state's hands appear to be tied, just as they are in a growing number of U.S. states where the ranks of voters eager to leave the union are also growing. However, that reality hasn't stopped the notion of WA’s secession from becoming popular again.WAxitDubbed WAxit, a new push for WA secession has recen