The West Australian (WA) government is facing increasing scrutiny after Premier Mark McGowan appointed himself to the portfolio of treasurer, raising concerns over democratic processes in the state. This comes after McGowan led the state Labor party to a landslide victory at the recent election, winning 53 out of 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly. Federal MP Craig Kelly expressed concern over the premier’s decision to take on the treasury portfolio, in light of the result. “The centralisation of power in WA, both in terms of the premier making himself treasurer and the lack of an effective opposition, poses a great risk to democracy in WA,” Kelly told The Epoch Times. Kelly said there is significant potential for WA to face serious challenges to its democratic process, given the lack of a robust opposition in the parliament to scrutinise the government. “You always want an effective opposition to hold the …