Opinion

Andrew Forrest is without doubt one of Western Australia’s most intriguing characters. I had the great pleasure to hear Mr Forrest speak last week at one of WA Business News’s Success and Leadership events, and it was a great opportunity to gain insight

It’s not often you can easily pick the best or worst investment on the stock market. Right now, however, the worst stands out like sore thumb.

The finger pointing by all those involved in the Westpoint Group debacle would almost be humorous if so much money was not at stake.

The last State Scene for 2005 highlighted the ways major political parties make it excruciatingly difficult for their candidates to be unseated by Independents.

Australia’s great grape glut is causing wine producers no end of pain. But in Western Australia there seems to be a variation emerging on that theme – the great grape shortage.

The wine industry’s woes are not self-inflicted and are an important example of what happens when government decisions start distorting business in an unhealthy way.

Despite some people contending otherwise there was, from the moment Geoff Gallop resigned, never any doubt that Alan Carpenter would become premier.

I have never believed in the regulated monopoly powers of AWB Ltd or its predecessors.So it is perhaps unfair for me to use the appalling news of the Iraqi wheat scandal to add to the call for the archaic wheat export monopoly to be scrapped.

There’s little doubt all state MPs learned the obvious lesson from Liberal leader Matt Birney’s unpleasant pre-Christmas encounter with the Privileges Committee – don’t secretly slip amendments into your Parliamentary Financial Interests Register, or else

If a man in a pub offered to sell you the Sydney Harbour Bridge for $50,000, would you write out a cheque on the spot?

Steel, in case hot-headed speculators playing the Australian stock market had not noticed, is essentially made by blending two materials – iron ore and coal, with a bit of limestone tossed in, plus nickel and other stuff for speciality steels.

It's not often that a political announcement genuinely catches everyone by surprise, but Geoff Gallop’s decision this week to step down as premier and retire from politics certainly falls into that category.

Last week, State Scene canvassed some of the underlying reasons for the collapse in Liberal leader Matt Birney’s standing among party colleagues during the closing months of 2005, which may well result in the emergence of pressure for his replacement duri

The ranks of those Liberal MPs who are wondering if their leader, Matt Birney, will still be in his position on April 17, his wedding day, swelled markedly just before Christmas, when the Parliamentary Privileges Committee adjudicated on his secret insert

With Western Australia entering what promises to be another year of strong economic expansion, the major challenge facing the state continues to be managing its rapid growth.

WILL 2005 be forever etched in our memories?

State Scene wishes to conclude this year’s assessment of the local political scene with some observations about the featherbedding and political funding of political parties.

It might feel like a long way away but the events at Cronulla Beach in Sydney at the weekend are something we should all be wary of.

Last week’s in-camera parliamentary privileges committee hearings on Liberal leader Matt Birney’s financial interests statements raised a host of questions that will hopefully be addressed before Christmas.

‘Unintended consequences’ is one of those marvellous expressions which, when translated, simply means we have no idea what will happen after we change the rules.

State Scene expects to be voting, soon after New Year, in a by-election for the seat of Yokine, currently held by one-time Labor minister Bob Kucera.

Buying local is a good thing when shopping for fruit and vegetables, but not necessarily a wise investment policy.

Was Peter Costello serious when he suggested reportedly he had no responsibility to investigate the background of Reserve Bank of Australia board candidate, Robert Gerard?

In the future, probably closer to the year 2020 than today, there might be an iron ore mine on the Shovelanna tenement co-worked by a small company called Cazaly Resources.

Over the years I have heard many stories of inequity when it comes to the handling of disputed mining claims.

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.

I had an interesting experience the other day when I found myself in a room of people who were bitterly opposed to John Howard’s proposed industrial relations changes.

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

Some Perth investors with an eye on BHP Billiton will be hoping for an insight into the company when they toddle along to its annual meeting in Perth tomorrow (Friday November 25)

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.

It's a shame that Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay are not writing any more of their Yes Minister books.