Mark McGowan is trying to turn Western Australia into a city-state not unlike ancient Rome, where the outlying regions are mere vassals to the capital, enjoy very little political representation and pay tribute in the form of mining royalties.

The Premier is also trying to make this report about me; about preference whisperers like Glenn Druery; and about smaller political parties centred around issues like secession, fluoride and daylight saving.

The reality is that neither me, nor Glenn, nor any small political party, has done anything to jeopardise the state of democracy in Western Australia.

Labor is the mob who has ruled by decree by making controversial political appointments and adopting an “urgent bills” process for the upper house.

Labor will tell you that we need a system of ‘one-vote, one-value’. The reality is that we already have one: it’s called the lower house, or the Legislative Assembly.

The Legislative Council isn't meant to act as a ‘people's house’. It's meant to act as a ‘house of review’, and to represent the interests of the regions.

Today, I call upon the Government to put to a referendum any changes that they propose to our state’s electoral laws.

The Government did not take electoral reform to the last state election, so they have no mandate to legislate on the issue without going back to the ballot box.

If and when they call a referendum, I will launch a non-partisan civic platform - similar to the No campaign during the Republican referendum - opposing changes that would disenfranchise country people.