Opinion

If it wasn’t clear already, last week’s Senate poll delivered a stark warning to the Labor Party.

It's easy to understand why South Africa’s Woolworths is currently being seen as a winner with its $2.15 billion takeover offer for David Jones, but it’s also interesting to wonder whether Woolworths will be seen as a winner next year.

A tough budget next month is not the optimal policy response for Australia, but the federal government will have to improve its financial position over the medium term.

Blaming the circumstances rather than taking responsibility is a dead-end response to a tough sales challenge.

The entrepreneurial sub-culture of WA business was established more than a century ago.

The lack of competition for small business lending needs to come under scrutiny at the federal government’s financial system inquiry.

Uncertainty over the price of oil makes Seven Group Holdings’ purchase of Nexus Energy a classic case of what business risk is all about.

The Australian dollar has bounced on the back of key US employment figures.

The government can expect the teachers’ union to keep up the pressure all the way till the next state poll.

It’s amazing what an improvement a new owner can bring to a business, which is why the proposed break-up of Australia’s biggest company, BHP Billiton, is excellent news for Western Australia, particularly the Goldfields and South West.

Arthur Sinodinos probably wouldn’t be appearing before a NSW ICAC hearing if disclosure of lobbying activities had already been legislated.

Business owners need to know how to maintain the integrity of their information security systems, particularly in light of new privacy provisions.

Knowing what your customer is thinking is the first step to making the sale.

Having secured funding for her Roy Hill mine, Gina Rinehart’s fortunes will soon rely on something she can’t control – the iron ore price.

Gender is a perennial issue because progress comes in fits and starts.

WA’s population growth rate has slowed, but the state and the country as a whole is still growing fast and in ways that have profound implications.

There’s an easy fix for the busted Senate preference system currently in operation, but little political will to take the first step.

Dollar up, gold down. It wasn’t supposed to be like that, especially in a week when Australian miners have been trying to convince international investors at a conference in Hong Kong that it’s time to take a fresh look a country that was in danger of pricing itself out of the market.

Despite being an agnostic in terms of anthropogenic global warming, John Howard was spooked by Labor and the Greens in 2007.

Business owners can improve productivity if they actively engage with their staff.

There has been a rapid response to the economic reform pathway decreed last year by China’s leaders.

A real sales pro will use all means available to unearth and secure business leads.

European shopping centres are evolving to include more leisure and lifestyle pursuits in an attempt to provide an experience the internet can’t.

Ears are for more than keeping your hat on – good CEOs use them to listen.

Recent events in the business and political sphere highlight again the importance of having a good succession plan, a process that many leaders do not embrace or understand.

Dean Nalder’s elevation to state cabinet may have surprised some, but Mike Nahan has the runs on the board to perform as treasurer.

High debt levels and rising interest rates are an unpleasant combination, but everyone with an interest in the retail, property and share markets would be wise to see that one factor has arrived and the other one is on its way, potentially producing a pincer-squeeze on spending and growth.

The federal upper house needs more Senators prepared to act in the interests of the federation.

Australians need to have a positive discussion on how we are going to meet our future healthcare needs.

The Australian dollar appreciated by about 50 per cent in trade-weighted terms during the past decade. The appreciation was an important means by which the economy was able to adjust to the historic increase in commodity prices and the unprecedented investment boom in the resources sector.

Attracting new leads requires the use of every form of social media and electronic outreach to find prospective clients.

Whether it’s a blip on the radar or a turning of the commodities price cycle, things are looking better for nickel.