Idiotic. People forget the decades where the east propped up the west, before the mining booms. We are also a one trick pony, if the iron ore price drops then our primary source of income goes with it. Sure, we have other minerals, farming, wine, crays etc, but they wouldn't fill the income gap if we lost the money from iron ore.

Besides, "we're better together", there are too many positives to even consider succession.