To cut mainland ties

premiers and the commonwealth, the federation has remained indissoluble.

Western Australia has been the only jurisdiction to make a serious attempt at seceding, when a majority of its residents voted to withdraw in 1933 — but the move was rejected by the British parliament.

Constitutional law expert Brendan Gogarty said “unless things dramatically change” a Tasmanian secession was “not functionally impossible, but practically impossible”.

“If we did secede unilaterally, it would not be legally valid within the rest of the commonwealth, and even if the commonwealth didn’t send in an occupying force to remedy matters, we would not be able to engage in trade and commerce with the mainland, and would not be a recognised state for the purposes of international law,” he said.

Premier Peter Gutwein yesterday put to bed any idea of a Tasmanian secession, saying “no, we are not considering seceding”.

Picture: RICHARD JUPE IT’S TIME: Tasmanian historian Reg Watson believes the state would be better off it cut ties with the Commonwealth.