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WAxit: WA Liberals To Explore Financial Independence From Australia

The motion was passed on Sunday with a 89-73 vote.
State president Norman Moore voted for the motion.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
State president Norman Moore voted for the motion.

Western Australia's Liberal Party has voted in favour of a financial motion that could see the state become financially independent from the rest of Australia.

The original motion looked at the opportunity for Western Australia to become an independent state within the Commonwealth, however an amendment was passed to change the motion to "financially independent".

The motion was passed at the party's state conference on Sunday, with a majority 89-73 vote.

Three former members of Parliament and three members of State Council will now examine the opportunity for the state to become financially independent, with a response expected to be delivered to the State Council next year.

Despite warnings the motion was considered a "lunatic fringe", state president Norman Moore told reporters Western Australia feels as though it is being ignored by Canberra.

"We send a significant amount of revenue in the form of income tax ... capital gains tax, superannuation contributions' tax all goes to Canberra," Moore said.

"I think it tells them that Western Australians ... are not happy with the way in which Western Australia is being treated.

"Because we are long way from Canberra we feel that we are being ignored and that our interests aren't being taken into consideration by both sides of politics."

However Western Australia Liberal Leader Mike Nahan voted against the movement, arguing that splitting up the country would be like splitting up a family.

"I can't argue with all those points about the unfair allocation of money withdrawn from the state," Nahan said.

"But ... we're like a family, someone told me many people who are large families will wish they had single-child family, but that's not possible."

The idea of a "WAxit" stemmed from Brexit -- Britain's vote to withdraw from the European Union.

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