Western Australia's Independence Manifesto

0:00In Sydney, it's March 12th, and here's what is going on. A new manifesto is pushing for Western Australia to break away from the rest of the country and become its own independent nation. The 400-page document argues that the state's huge natural resources make it more than capable of standing alone. Former Barrister Julian Gillespie led the charge, calling the current federal setup unfair to resource-rich states like Western Australia. He claims too much money flows out without enough coming back in. This idea brings back memories of 1933 when voters in a referendum overwhelmingly supported secession. That effort fell apart in the end, but it showed strong feelings about state rights back then. The plan lays out a simple tax system with a 20% levy on resources, while keeping all goods and services tax revenue and land taxes in the state. It would scrap income tax entirely, so workers keep every dollar they earn. Key services would move to local councils, and the proposal even includes starting a Western Australian defense force.

1:04It's already stirring a fresh talk about what independence could really mean. Special thanks to our sponsor for supporting this episode. Some chase peace. I'll put my head in it. S-O-L-I-SoliPillow.com.