Opinion

In this week's edition of Business News Background, head of content Mark Pownall, news editor Mark Beyer and host James Lush discuss WA's infrastructure strategy, or lack thereof, the contractors winning work on big projects, WA's economic prospects and the Padbury Mining saga.

The battered party could start on the long road back by taking advice from Joe Bullock and its 1980s' team of MPs.

Taking a methodical approach to infrastructure planning helps build strong foundations.

The WA and federal budgets will test the political resolve of the governments to make the hard decisions.

Masked by the delay in plans to merge Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining to create a $33 billion global gold mining giant is another sign that Western Australia's resources industry is losing its international investment appeal.

The reform agenda mapped out last week by the Economic Regulation Authority should become former treasurer Troy Buswell's greatest legacy to the state.

Nostalgia is no longer a valid reason to stop the modernisation of Rotto.

UBS has dug up hot numbers on the WA iron ore project that could propel the billionaire to world's richest person.

Big-spending Clive Palmer can go on to play a much bigger role in political outcomes.

Finally, after decades of dithering and empty promises there is hope the ambitious Oakajee port and rail plan in the Mid West will move beyond the drawing board, not that there will be a ground-breaking ceremony for a few more years.

The mining supply and services sector mostly fails to get its message to the market.

Take the time to communicate on a more direct level with the customer to win the sale.

Managing community relations is proving a major challenge for oil and gas companies, and there's a lot of goodwill to claw back.

More than a decade of 40under40 winners represent the changing face of new business in WA.

Nothing can be ruled out in the search for information of the missing Malaysian Airlines jet.

This week's APPEA conference highlighted the key issues facing one of the state's fastest growing industries; the solutions are less clear.

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.