Mark McGowan’s intransigence is not unfamiliar. When he was the Minister for Education he stared down the Teacher’s Union over a fair and reasonable pay claim later honoured by Colin Barnett.  It cost the Alan Carpenter Government the subsequent election. The Premier seems not have learned to listen to rational argument once he has made an emotional commitment to a particular line of action.  He is prepared to let the WA economy suffer further damage in order to avoid backing down on decisions he made during the Corona Crisis, rather than review changing circumstances with an open mind. Perhaps it will take another election loss enlighten him.

Mark McGowan’s refusal to compromise on state border restrictions for the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers (despite the fact that their participation in the AFL provides and massive boost to the WA economy every year) is untenable.

The insistence on a fourteen day isolation period for players prevents them from negotiating a fair set of AFL fixtures to compensate them for accepting the current Queensland Hub conditions. Perhaps the Premier is at least partly motivated by his desire to establish “the great game of Soccer” at Optus Stadium and is quite happy to see Australian football suffer.