The pressure on the WA government to relax it's rigid border rules

[Carringbush2010]

No matter your views on Mark McGowan, Roger Cook, the WA government, Zak Kirkup, the WA opposition or West Australians in general, attacking Western Australia's handling of the pandemic (eg via deliberate snub of WA by the Federal Government) just makes the current administration more popular. It does not matter how well-argued or reasonable or logical it is - especially when the results speak for themselves - an approval rating comparable to a North Korean dictator, and Facebook fan pages and awful tattoos normally reserved for South Korean pop groups.

It's something I think a lot of eastern states residents and political commentators (Antony Green aside) just don't understand properly - many of us here identify as West Australians first, and Australians second. We are a parochial bunch. The general perception of Canberra and Sydney (as examples) is not wholly positive, especially when politicians from those respective places start 'lecturing' us on what McGowan should do, even if what they are saying are perfectly sound and the response by McGowan did not refute it. The Liberal opposition have avoided criticising McGowan's border controls - there is a political reason for that. The Federal government (eventually) withdrew from the suit by Clive Palmer against WA - there is a political reason for that too.

And because I need to get a life I think this will be my only post in this thread on the matter. Feel free to call me out or disagree - it would be an example of the behaviour I described above.

I don't think anyone is arguing the bulk of your post in regards to Marky Mark's popularity or the WA first Aussies 2nd.

Gareth Parker summed it up perfectly on Q&A, he alluded that the border and quarantine controls are popular with the bulk of the population because the bulk of the population never or hardly ever leave WA. So it works for them.

The point of the thread is McGowan waaahhing about Canberra not giving them more destinations in the stimulus and are 'punishing' WA for the border / quarantine policies.

That is neither here nor there, McGowan doesn't give a flying if no one ever from anywhere else comes here ever again but he's using his 'outrage' as a platform for all the WA first Aussie 2nd types - coz that's the bulk of the WA population.

Further, his comments, regardless of the purpose (either appeal to the populace or whinge about being left out) are inconsistent.

IF he expects tourists to just come here and spend their $ without certainty that they won't be locked in, then they won't be coming anyway.