March 14, 2026 — 5:00am
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“Welcome to the Republic of Westralia.”
Before anti-secessionists bellow “treason”, you must admit, it sounds quite catchy. Considering our state’s rich musical history, the national anthem would be an absolute banger.
Is it time for WA to, as Fleetwood Mac sang, go our own way?WAtoday
Let’s be honest, WA props up the national economy anyway, so would we truly miss our smug east coast cousins if we decided to sever ties with the rest of the country?
At times – particularly when it comes to dividing GST – the relationship with the other states has become more toxic than a cooped-up couple on Married at First Sight.
Because WA was late coming to the table when it came to federation, we’ve always been treated like outcasts from the wild west.
Some Sandgropers have been hatching a plan to leave ever since.
One of the most compelling reasons for allowing WA to become an independent nation is that the Fremantle Dockers and the West Coast Eagles would have the opportunity to represent their “country” in what could be termed the IFL (International Football League).
This may sound imbecilic, but under a radical proposal by secessionist and former barrister Julian Gillespie, the AFL could finally go “global”.
“It [the AFL] would gain international sporting status because it would involve players from a foreign nation, who just happened to be the guys next door,” says Gillespie, the principal author of the new book, Secession by Western Australia.
However, Gillespie believes separated Sandgropers could become the envy of the nation because, after secession, West Aussies would pay no taxes.
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The newly minted foreign country would be bankrolled by miners and oil and gas producers, who would be slugged a 20 per cent tax.
“Western Australians would retain 100 per cent of their pay packet, so immediately they’ve got a leg up because once you move to independence, there is no further relationship with the federal government, so there is no obligation to pay one of the 13-plus taxes,” he said.
“The only major tax here is what we are calling the 20 per cent Universal Royalty Rate, which applies to all miners in WA because that reflects WA’s strength. ”
The tax would bring in approximately $48 billion annually to the new nation’s coffers.
It gets juicier. Under the secession model, WA would get to keep all its GST.
Currently, WA gets 75 cents for every dollar of GST revenue. Around $9.3 billion in GST payments is expected to pour into the state’s kitty this financial year.
However, WA’s GST deal is under threat, with the Productivity Commission reviewing its national funding arrangements after several states complained they were being treated unfairly.
But according to Gillespie, WA wouldn’t have to cough up a brass razoo to the federation if it exited stage right from the Commonwealth.
“Under the new nation, it would be WA’s GST. That’s it,” he said.
“You might rebrand, so there is no confusion, so you might call it WA’s GST, but there’s no flow to what is effectively the foreign nation of the Commonwealth of Australia.”
All hail the new country of Westralia.
There also wouldn’t be any separation anxiety if WA waved goodbye to the Commonwealth, given we had a glimpse of independence during COVID-19, when then-premier Mark McGowan sealed us off from the rest of the globe for a couple of years.
But before you put down a deposit on a new jet ski, there doesn’t seem to be a strong push from Sandgropers for self-governance.
The WAxit Party received just 0.34 per cent of the vote at the 2021 state election.
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And the secession movement isn’t new.
In April 1933, 66 per cent of West Australians voted “yes” in a referendum to secede from the rest of Australia. Despite almost two-thirds of Sandgropers voting yes, the UK Parliament kyboshed the move after receiving a petition from the state.
Despite the secession movement gaining momentum again, Federal member for Perth, Patrick Gorman, said now was not the time for “idiotic ideas”.
“Secession will leave Western Australia with a weaker economy and no defence force,” he posted on Facebook.
“No one wants to pay for a visa to visit family in other states.”
But West Aussies won’t be grumble over the idea of paying an entry fee. We tend to skip the eastern seaboard for Bali, anyway.
It’s extremely unlikely that our state will ever go its own way for myriad constitutional reasons.
But blimey, “the Republic of Westralia” has a charming ring to it.
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Brendan Foster is a Fremantle local, former Fairfax journalist and communication professional, with work published in Guardian Australia, The New York Daily, The New York Times, Crikey, WAtoday, News.com.au, The Irish Times and The Sunday Times.From our partners