Mark Beyer

WESTERN Australia’s two peak farming organisations have taken opposing sides in the debate over the governance of grain handling and marketing cooperative CBH Group.

WESTERN Australia’s five largest traditional advertising agencies have shed more than 25 per cent of their staff during the past two years, with market leader Marketforce experiencing the biggest decline.

The early signs are that the 2010 federal election will take poll-driven campaigning to a new level in Australia.

Western Australia’s economic outlook is positive but there are serious gaps that need attention.

THE global cooperative movement employs about 100 million people and the top 300 cooperatives turn over $US960 billion per year, yet the sector has been largely ignored within mainstream economic and management studies for the past 60 years.

Let’s not forget the planned mineral resource rent tax is, above all, a big new tax on one of WA’s fastest growing and most dynamic industries.

Member-owned businesses such as CBH Group and Capricorn Society are constantly fighting for legitimacy, despite a long track record of success.

A dissident bloc of CBH Group shareholders has requisitioned an extraordinary general meeting to seek changes to the grain handling and marketing group's board of directors.

New prime minister Julia Gillard needs to show her hand on key policy issues ahead of the election.

The premier’s relatively smooth tax reform process presents a sharp contrast with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s attempt.

THE state government has scrapped plans for a full public private partnership for its new children’s hospital, opting instead to use the proceeds from its new royalties agreement with BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto to fund the hospital.

Perth’s business community has experienced one of its most tragic months, with the entire board of iron ore developer Sundance Resources perishing in a plane crash in Africa and two other prominent business figures passing away.

Seven weeks on, the controversy over the resource super profits tax continues to run hot.

Good communication is a handy skill for political and business leaders, but it’s nothing if the substance is lacking.

WA industry leaders Richard Goyder, Sam Walsh and Andrew Forrest lined up today to criticise deputy prime minister Julia Gillard and the federal government's tax and economic policies.

The battle over the resource super profits tax provides a test of where power and influence resides in Australia.

PERTH law firm Blakiston & Crabb has substantially enhanced its capabilities by forming an alliance with top-tier Sydney firm Gilbert + Tobin.

The debate over the resource super profits tax has degenerated into an unedifying spectacle.

The planned resources super profits tax is highly complex but the underlying issues are simple.

The Rudd government has drifted to such an extent it is unclear what, if anything, it really stands for.

LARGE resources projects that bring capital goods into Australia instead of using local suppliers face higher costs after the federal government tightened a concessional customs duty scheme.

The debate over tax reform has failed to pay regard to the increase in overall tax collections.

The dumping of the state government’s most capable minister puts the onus onto the rest of Colin Barnett’s team.

Investors and business executives have been given a few sharp reminders in recent weeks about the risk of regulatory shocks.

Western Australians need to carefully think through the implications of migration policy for the state’s social fabric and business prospects.

Recent developments between Australia and China point to both the increasing importance and growing complexity of the relationship.

WESTERN Australian farmers have regained control of one of the state’s big three dairy processing companies after Challenge Dairy Cooperative moved to majority ownership of Challenge Australian Dairy Pty Ltd.

The current market provides an ideal opportunity for one of the big banks to break away from the pack.

Three industry events held in Perth this month illustrate the city’s unique and fortuitous profile.

INCREASED use of public private partnerships has become a defining feature of the state government’s infrastructure program, but behind that label sits a wide range of procurement models.

The private owner of Jandakot Airport has welcomed federal government approval of its Master Plan for the airport but is waiting for the all-important clearance of its proposed commercial developments in the area.

Two new reports have illuminated public debate over the merit of building major sporting venues and chasing big events.