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June 12th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda Treasurer Christian Porter is expected to resign from state politics today in a shock announcement.
It is believed he will instead seek pre-selection for the federal seat of Pearce.
Doubling as the Attorney-General, Mr Porter is considered one of the government’s strongest MPs and will leave a large hole in capabilities.
Political analyst Harry Phillips said the loss of Mr Porter would be so great it could impact on the Liberal-National Coalition’s chances of winning the March state election.
“Polls have suggested that the alliance is generally favoured to win the next election at this stage but of course Christian Porter as Treasurer and Attorney-General is regarded as one of the strongest and most capable members of that Coalition to the extent that if he’s away, at least in the first instance, the team will be weakened,” Curtin University’s Professor Phillips said.
“[Premier] Colin Barnett may be able to restructure his ministry and sometimes this can happen and people given opportunities immediately perform well. But Treasury and Attorney-General are key posts in anybody’s language and to lose such an intellectually capable person like Christian Porter is a setback.”
Mr Porter is expected to immediately relinquish his portfolios and return to the backbench until the election.
Mr Barnett could re-coup the treasury portfolio, as did former Liberal premier Richard Court.
However, Troy Buswell is the most likely candidate to take on at least the treasury portfolio. He lost the role – and unofficial standing as the next premier – in April 2010 amid allegations he misused ministerial allowances.
Mr Buswell has the economic credentials required of the portfolio but whether the public holds a grudge over his colourful and occasionally controversial antics remains to be seen.
Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said West Australians should be concerned if Mr Buswell is made Treasurer, which would indicate he would succeed Mr Barnett as Premier.
The resignation had left the state government in a grind in the middle of finalising Mr Porter’s second state budget.
“To have the Treasurer leave whilst a budget is still going through the Parliament is very unusual and sends a message to investors in the state and the broader community that all is not well,” Mr McGowan said.
“I think it’s a very strange and damaging course of events for the state.
“I think it shows the government is in disarray and turmoil because you can’t lose the most senior minister – and from both the portfolios – and then expect to continue on business as usual.
“He’s let the portfolio down and he’s let the State Parliament down to a degree.”
Mr Porter, who won the seat of Bateman at the 2008 election after entering politics months earlier at a by-election, is expected to win pre-selection for the federal seat of Pearce, which covers outer eastern Perth suburbs and surrounding rural areas including Toodyay, Mundaring and parts of the Swan Valley.
The seat has been held by Liberal Judi Moylan, who is retiring, since 1993. She presently has a majority of 8.9 per cent.
Professor Phillips said it was not unusual for a state minister or premier to switch to the federal sphere and Mr Porter probably sounded out his federal colleagues before making the leap.
He would likely be immediately elevated to a federal portfolio if the Coalition won the next election, expected by October next year.
“My belief at this stage is that he would be an immediate federal minister,” Professor Phillips said.
“It’s probably too much to expect being [immediately] granted Attorney-General or Treasurer but he would certainly be a candidate for any one of the range of portfolios that would utilise those two brackets of expertise.
“Winning the federal seat could be just totally expected and his strong stance on the GST in WA will only further enhance him winning the Pearce seat.”
Mr Porter has led the government’s fight for reform of the Goods and Services Tax and could be seen as a contender in a federal Coalition government’s economic policy team.
His state colleagues are reportedly unimpressed at the shock resignation, which some view as selfish.
Cabinet members were likely told during their weekly meeting yesterday. He is expected to address all Liberal MPs at 10am, followed by a media conference.
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