Joseph Poprzeczny

Last week, State Scene surveyed the opening moves by key Liberal Party financial boffins to ensure their party will soon tap into what’s called state public funding of parties.

That dreaded M-word has reappeared within Liberal Party ranks.

President George W Bush’s decision to militarily engage America’s sworn Middle Eastern enemies at the head of a ‘coalition of the willing’ has resulted in numerous unexpected outcomes, not all of which are welcomed by his dogmatic critics.

State Scene realises the most common school debating topic after whether capital punishment should be re-introduced is whether compulsory voting should be abolished.

A view has begun to emerge around State Parliament and the major political parties that the Gallop government is approaching a fork in the road.

The recently released 480-plus-page report on Joondalup Council is a quizzical document.

Last week’s bagging of junior minister Bob Kucera’s scalp wasn’t a day too soon for Liberal leader Matt Birney, since a consensus was emerging within party ranks that, while he’d made a fairly good start in February, little had happened since to cheer up

Last week, State Scene was fortunate to sneak a look at what could become Western Australia’s non-metropolitan lower house electoral boundaries at the 2009 election.

History, like life in general, can be most unkind to some people. Put otherwise, it can be kinder, much kinder, to some while not so to others.

By now, most politicians will have marked their favourite Mark Latham diary quotation. Mine was his remark about Labor’s Kevin Rudd: “If he grew up in poverty in rural Queensland where did the posh accent come from?”

Hardly a year passes without a new development that focuses on the loss of Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney, off Carnarvon, on November 19 1941.

During the past fortnight Australians have again been subjected to what some are calling the Johnny and Pete show.

With Labor leader Kim Beazley registering poor polling ratings it’s little wonder discomfort is showing across Labor ranks.

Every John, Liz, David and Janet is getting into the act. All are opposing the best thing that’s to happen to young Australians since Otto Rohwedder developed sliced bread in 1928.

Pooled development fund Growth Infinity is hoping to raise $5 million in seed capital to invest in Western Australia’s small to medium enterprise sector

Western Australia’s migrant intake of predominantly skilled workers has been running at well over 1,000 people a month, or about 13,300 annually, during the past five calendar years, 2000 to 2004.

Whenever possible, State Scene highlights the bountiful benefits of democracy over its horrific totalitarian alternatives, most especially European fascism, Russian and Oriental bolshevism, and now Middle Eastern Islamic jihadism.

The state’s newest and biggest wind farm, at Walkaway south-east of Geraldton, will have its power output monitored around-the-clock online by specialists based in Denmark and California

With Perth’s CBD office vacancy rates approaching a record low it is little wonder that near inner-city office space has started coming onto the market.

The behind-the-scenes tussle for the $2.5 billion Western Power electricity procurement contract won by Wambo Power Ventures Pty Ltd involved three of the state’s most astute lobbyists and backroom operators.

A record 77,880 skilled migrants arrived in Australia last financial year, according to Immigration Minister, Senator Amanda Vanstone.

South-west Liberal MP Troy Buswell, who some see as a likely future Liberal leader, recently fired a broadside across Labor’s bow by naming several of its MPs with close union links in a press release.

Eight potential ports, each capable of berthing Cape-sized ships of up to 180,000 tonnes, have been identified between Geraldton and Cape Cuvier, situated 50 kilometres north of Carnarvon

The state’s continued high level of building has meant some builders are adopting unfair and potentially illegal practices, according to the Builders’ Registration Board.

It is a fact of life that if you want to be a major player in the Pilbara iron ore industry you need a lot more than just iron ore. You need trains, as well as your own railroad. Joe Poprzeczny explains.

Rivalry has surfaced between several federal politicians and metropolitan city councils, which want to ensure that a Canberra-funded Australian Technical College is based within their region.

Earlier this year the Liberals launched a national publication called Looking Forward. Since it attracted a degree of publicity in political circles, State Scene resolved to get a copy to assess the standard of its articles

Scheduled railroad repairs to the Perth-to-Goldfields line have forced passengers booked on the popular but sometimes troubled Prospector to use buses after one of Kalgoorlie’s premier annual events, the Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum.

Lesuer National Park, near Jurien, is set to offer international and other eco-tourists the opportunity to view its flora and fauna in the comfort of tourist coaches or family vehicles.

With Prime Minister John Howard adopting so many core Labor Party policies, it’s no longer possible to perceive any differences that may exist between Liberal and Labor.

The Department of Education and Training plans quizzing federal education officials on the reason for Western Australia’s failure to be allocated funds to establish two of the 24 Australian Technical Colleges proposed by Canberra.

Long-time readers of this column will have noted that Canberra’s ongoing drive to gain ever-greater control over the affairs of the states isn’t a trend welcomed by State Scene.