When the McGowan Government detailed plans to shut down the School of the Air last December, it was adamant the impact would be minimal and education outcomes would not be affected.

"I don't see how you can make that conclusion at all, frankly," Education Minister Sue Ellery said.

Sue Ellery admitted the decision to shut down the School of the Air was wrong. ( ABC News: Marcus Alborn )

Less than a month later, as the Government backtracked on what proved to be an enormously contentious decision, Ms Ellery admitted she had been wrong.

"We got the balance wrong. While we have to make budget savings, we went too far on the impact on students," she said in January.

It is not the only time Premier Mark McGowan's Labor government has steadfastly defended a position, only to relent not long after.

A pattern of backflips forms

Labor firmly stood behind its plans to open up the academically selective high school, Perth Modern School, as a local intake school and to build a new, selective institution in the inner-city.

"We are actually putting the school where it should be … it's a fundamental matter of justice," Mr McGowan said before the last election.

Just four months later, following protests against the decision, the Government changed its mind and Perth Modern — in its current location at Subiaco — was saved.

"We needed to listen to the community and I'm glad that we have," Ms Ellery said last June.

Plans to slash funding to the regional network of Community Resource Centres were also defended as necessary, over a period of several months.

Alannah MacTiernan reversed a decision to cut funding to CRCs. ( ABC News: Andrew O'Connor )

"The funding has seen really exceptional growth over the past couple of years and we're just wanting to bring that back to a more normal trajectory," Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan said in April.

By mid-August, the Government had reversed course on that too.

"We will continue to fully fund CRCs to the tune of $13 million per year, ensuring CRCs can deliver important services to regional communities," Ms MacTiernan said.

On top of that, the Government resisted heavy pressure for months to install SMART drum lines off WA beaches as part of its shark prevention strategy, insisting they were unaffordable.

Labor reconsidered its stance on SMART drum lines following lobbying by families of shark attack victims. ( AAP: ScreenWest )

"To install drum lines at these locations and surf breaks, it would cost an estimated $50–$75 million per year," Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly said in May.

But within three months of that dismissal, the Government had committed to a trial.

"I hope that the trial shows that these devices actually do work and they actually makes our beaches safer," Mr Kelly said.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 3 seconds 1 m 3 s SMART drum lines have also been used in NSW to catch and tag great white sharks.

The danger of a precedent

The Government has now set a clear precedent of being willing to change course, even after a vehement defence of the original position.

The Premier's team has pointed to its willingness to change as demonstrating open-mindedness and having an ear on the feelings of the community, saying it has shown it is happy to make amends when it gets something wrong.

"You do need to reflect on decisions from time to time and change them, and we're willing to do that where needs be," Treasurer Ben Wyatt said last month.

Opponents of the decision to close Moora Residential College have been hoping the Government again bows to public pressure. ( ABC News: Briana Shepherd )

But backing down on contentious policies several times can pose problems.

For one, the knowledge the Government has bowed to community pressure before is likely to give hope to future protest movements.

On top of that, each 180-degree turn risks creating a "what about us" phenomenon, where critics are given heart their grievance could be next to benefit from a U-turn.

The potential for that was clear after the CRC decision, which prompted opponents of the planned closure of Moora Residential College to seek to get their cause back in the spotlight.

Opponents of plans to close the Moora college seized on the backflip over Community Resource Centres to try to re-ignite their campaign. ( ABC News: Briana Shepherd )

Inevitably, more unpopular decisions lie ahead for the McGowan Government.

It readily concedes it cannot meet ambitious targets of reining in spending without making decisions that are going to ruffle some feathers.

But its past actions mean when those times arrive, the Government will face emboldened critics armed with a precedent to use against it.