Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Australian Politics and Policy
Federation
The elation of achieving self-government was, however, quickly overshadowed by
the inexorable march towards Federation. WA faced the spectre of having to
relinquish its newfound independence before it had a chance to exercise it fully.
Compounding WA’s apprehension was the fact that almost half of its revenue
was drawn from intercolonial tariffs. The new federal Constitution would make
trade, commerce and intercourse among the states ‘free’, thereby undercutting an
important revenue source for WA. 7
WA did eventually vote to enter the federation, with the initiative obtaining
nearly a 70 per cent ‘yes’ vote on 31 July 1900. However, the question was only
presented to the people as a result of intervention by colonial authorities. In order
to counter the recalcitrance exhibited by WA’s political elite, colonial authorities
adopted a carrot and stick approach. The carrot took the form of a deal to address
the colony’s financial anxieties, while the stick was the threat to annexe the colony’s
lucrative goldfields. 8
WA’s sluggish acceptance of its political fate meant that the vote on the question
of Federation occurred 22 days after the enactment of the Commonwealth of
Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK), but in time for the commencement of
Federation on 1 January the following year. WA’s initial reticence is captured in the
preamble of the federal Constitution, which omits WA as one of the parties that
‘have agreed to unite in one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth’.
The state’s ambivalence towards the federation has remained a distinctive feature
of its history and its identity. Some regard WA’s tentativeness as pathological, with
one former state government minister arguing that one need only ‘[s]cratch a
Western Australian and you find a secessionist underneath’. 9 Atvariouspointsin
time, WA’s feelings of grievance have found expression in the call for secession.
The most serious of such efforts occurred in 1933, when WA, reeling from the
Great Depression, voted to secede from the federation. The plebiscite obtained over
50 per cent of the electorate’s support. 10 While the government of the time, led by
Premier Collier, dutifully – if reluctantly – petitioned the Imperial parliament for
relief, its refusal to hear the matter led to the supplication being dropped. 11 It was
the position of the Imperial parliament that it would be unconstitutional for the
state to secede without federal parliamentary support. 12
7 Musgrave 2003.
8 Musgrave 2003.
9 Quoted in Taylor 2015, 2.
10 Besant 1990.
11 Bolton 1993.
12 Besant 1990.
316