The Fading Light

Recently North America 'Sprang Ahead' with daylight savings.  All of Australia also adopted daylight savings...except the state of Western Australia.

In 2009 Western Australia held a referendum to decide if daylight savings should be adopted.  It was the fourth such proposal wich had been put to the WA voters and followed a three year trial period.  The referendum resulted in the proposal being rejected, with 45% in favour and 55% opposed.  The previous referendums in 1975, 1984 and 1992 were also rejected by the voters.

The main advocates for daylight savings were businesses.  They argued that it would make dealing with businesses from the east easier during the summer as it would reduce the time difference.  They also argued that families would be able to spend more time together outdoors after work while it was still light.  Because businesses are all about people spending the day light hours with their loved ones...

Opposition to daylight savings was strongest in rural areas of WA.  The farmers argued that it caused problems for them.  I'm unclear exactly what those problems are.  Others argued that daylight savings led to more deaths on the roads and that electricity consumption was increased, harming the environment.  A friend of ours here also mentions, anecdotely, that some argued that their peoples curtains faded more with daylight savings. 

The bottom line is that the referendum failed and as a result there is no daylight savings in Western Australia.  So, we are now 12 hours ahead of Canadian EST and 14 hours ahead of MST.  So 3pm in Perth is 3am in Toronto and 1am in Calgary.  In the process we are losing time in the day light.  Some of the people here are absolutely ridiculous.

None of this should come as a surprise.  Western Australia is the same place that is in the process now of passing legislation to allow shopping on Sundays.  It is also the place that only allowed the sale of Advil over the counter in 2003.