Editing Hal Colebatch (section)

===Secessionism===
In January 1933, Mitchell offered Colebatch the position of agent-general again. Colebatch, believing his anti-protectionist efforts in the Senate to be futile, took the position, making him the first person to be agent-general for Western Australia twice. By this time, he was involved with the campaign for [[Secessionism in Western Australia|Western Australian secession]]{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=164}} and had joined the [[Dominion League]], an organisation advocating for secession.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=165}} He soon became one of the league's most prominent speakers, most notably delivering a speech on 13 February 1933 at the [[Perth Town Hall]] to an overflowing audience.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|pp=165–167}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58674642 |title=Ill Effects of Federation Closely Analysed |newspaper=The Sunday Times |date=19 February 1933 |access-date=3 January 2023 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The anti-secessionist Federal League objected to Colebatch being associated with the pro-secession campaign as the agent-general is meant to be neutral, but he was still a senator and had not taken up the position of agent-general yet. He resigned from the Senate on 20 March 1933 and assumed the position of agent-general five days later.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=167}}

[[File:WA secession delegation.jpg|thumb|From left to right: [[Matthew Moss]], [[Keith Watson (politician)|Keith Watson]], [[James MacCallum Smith]] and Hal Colebatch on top of the [[Savoy Hotel]] in London holding the Dominion Flag{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=175}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Matthew Lewis Moss, H.K. Watson, James MacCallum Smith MLA and Sir Hal Colebatch on top of the Savoy Hotel in London display the Dominion flag. Battye Library [BA556/1] |url=https://webarchive.slwa.wa.gov.au/federation/popup/000757d.htm |website=State Library of Western Australia |access-date=3 January 2023}}</ref>|alt=Black and white photograph of four men dressed in suits standing on a balcony holding a large flag depicting the Union Jack with a black swan in the centre.]]

On 8 April 1933, the [[1933 Western Australian secession referendum|Western Australian secession referendum]] occurred,{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=170}} in which 66.23% of electors voted in favour of seceding.{{cn|date=January 2023}} The 1933 state election occurred on the same day, in which the Mitchell government was defeated by the anti-secessionist Labor party, led by Phillip Collier.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=170}} Despite having worked well with Collier last time he was agent-general, Colebatch's position was precarious due to his advocacy for secession.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=171}} Nevertheless, Collier chose to honour the electorate's wish by sending a delegation to London to ask the [[British Parliament]] for permission to secede.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=172}} Colebatch urged for Collier to be part of the delegation but he chose not to. Colebatch was instead leader with the other members being legal advisor Matthew Moss, chairman of the Dominion League [[Keith Watson (politician)|Keith Watson]] and vice-president of the Dominion League [[James MacCallum Smith]].{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=173}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/2878154 |title=Secession: London Delegation: Four Members: Two to go from Perth |newspaper=The West Australian |date=1 September 1934 |access-date=3 January 2023 |page=19 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Colebatch knew the chance of being successful was low but saw the situation as a useful bargaining chip in negotiations with the federal government as well as way to generate publicity for the state's grievances.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=173}} [[J. H. Thomas]], the [[Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs]], told Colebatch that the British Government had no intention on allowing secession but it would nevertheless receive the delegation courteously. This pleased Colebatch, who now did not have to worry about the intricacies and consequences of secession. When [[Edward John Harding]], the permanent under-secretary for the dominions, asked Colebatch if Western Australia really wanted to secede, he replied that the movement would subside if Western Australia received fairer treatment from the Commonwealth. The petition was presented to both houses of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] in December 1934 and was then referred to a select committee which determined that although the British Parliament had the legal power to pass an act for the secession of Western Australia, it would go against [[Constitutional convention (political custom)|constitutional conventions]] unless the petition came as the "clearly expressed wish of the Australian people as a whole". As a result, the British Parliament rejected the petition.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=174}}

When Watson suggested armed rebellion if the petition was rejected, Colebatch issued a statement distancing the Western Australian government from these comments. The secession movement faded away after it was clear that the British Parliament was not interested.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=175}} Colebatch could consider the situation a win, despite having previously advocated for secession, as the federal government soon reduced import [[Duty (tax)|duties]] on several items and it established the [[Commonwealth Grants Commission]] to advise the government on the distribution of grants to the states. The federal government also began spending more on defence in Western Australia; it had spent almost nothing prior to that. It created the [[Fremantle Fortress]] on [[Rottnest Island]], which included [[BL 9.2-inch Mk IX – X naval gun|9.2-inch naval guns]] to defend Fremantle.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=176}}