It is to the 19th century British historian, politician, and moralist Lord Acton that we owe the phrase: ‘Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ It conveys the sense that, as the power of rulers increases, their moral sense diminishes.

Since winning an extraordinary majority in both houses of Parliament at the 2021 state election, Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has shown that he does not tolerate dissent.