One would be for the Australian head of state to be simultaneously head of state for Western Australia. Another option is for Western Australia to retain a head of state who is independent of that of the Commonwealth. This is the most natural option, not only for reasons of constitutional independence, but also because it sits most easily with the practice of responsible government within Western Australia, and would provide Western Australia with a unifying figure to perform ceremonial duties. In deciding what to call the head of state, the most plausible option would be to retain the designation of 'Governor'. The term has a long and honourable tradition within Western Australia, and is used in the United States of America, which is a republic.
Popular election has the clear advantage of involving the electors in the process.
A major difficulty, however, is that it is inconsistent with our system of responsible government. At present, the Governor acts upon the advice of the Premier and Ministers, because Governors have no democratic legitimacy. However, a popularly elected head of state would have a degree of democratic support exceeding that of the Premier, who normally requires no more than the confidence of the Lower House of Parliament to hold office. Consequently, there would be the potential for instability caused by disagreement between the head of state and the Premier. An alternative would be for the head of state to be chosen by the State Parliament, with a special majority requirement.