Koukoulas analysis is biased

Comments on Stephen  Koukoulas "Western Australia's easy ride", 18/02/2013, http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Western-Australias-easy-ride--Why-Western-Australi-pd20130218-4ZRNT?OpenDocument&src=sph&src=rot

Stephen, you may have a point (Western Australia's easy ride, February 18).

However, one important point is missing from your analysis, that is, how much WA has been contributing to the federation financially in recent mining boom years, not only through taxation revenues, but also through higher FIFO workers possibly from Eastern states.

As an experienced economist, presenting only one side and ignoring the other side of a story is not convincing and cannot achieve the objective of decent and professional analysis.

Yes, federation does have its advantages and part of them are mentioned by you, that is, the scale and diversity of the federation over a much smaller state. It is like a in-built insurance that the federation affords without the need to pay for it.

But that does not equate to a one-sided story ad analysis.

To be comprehensive, a complete and representative analysis is needed to see and tell the costs and benefits of the federation to WA, not for recent years, but also for longer periods, including the past and possibly the future.