Opinion

As financial services providers grapple with Financial Services Reform legislation, those within their ranks who have studied organisational behaviour might recall Pavlov’s Dog.

With so many aspirational voters in Western Australia – to use Mark Latham’s borrowed term – deserting Labor on October 9 it’s little wonder Geoff Gallop’s boffins are reassessing his provisional plan to call a December 2004 State election.

Joe Poprzeczny’s recent commentary on the history of gas deregulation forgets to mention some key aspects of the deregulation of the gas industry he so vehemently criticises.

Thankfully Australia’s 2004 general auction, oops, sorry, election, is over.

After reading the feature article on Busselton’s sea change challenge, (WA Business News, September 30) and as professional marketers located in the town, we could not let this opportunity go by to comment on some of its assertions.

John Howard’s fourth term re-election is likely to herald a period of major change for business in Australia.

Last week I was taken to task by some readers over our coverage of Federal Labor’s plans to abolish Australian Workplace Agreements.

On August 5, an article in WA Business News titled WA Inc link to PRL deal incorrectly stated that Kevin Edwards, a senior adviser to the Burke Government, had been fined $10,000 for his role in the collapse of Rothwells Ltd.

Western Australia’s Labor Party is persisting in slotting State MPs into contests for Federal parliamentary seats.

Sparked by recent media commentary about business involvement in the arts, Wesfarmers chief executive Michael Chaney penned this letter as a response.

Federal election 2004 will be memorable for several reasons, not least, the clash between the Lying Rodent, Prime Minister John Howard’s latest nickname, and the Road Rager, as Liberal Canning MHR, Don Randall, has dubbed Labor leader, Mark Latham.

Labor’s education policy is as educationally unsound as it is socially divisive.

In the wake of the Prime Minister’s $6 billion weekend spending spree, I couldn’t help reflecting on a piece I had read recently on the purchasing power of election promises.

Last week’s State Scene lifted the veil on the unwitting moves by Premier Geoff Gallop and Energy Minster Eric Ripper that are helping Alinta further tighten its stranglehold over Western Australia’s domestic and industrial gas markets.

Mark Latham’s promise to give up to $75 million a year to Western Australia to attract major new gas and processing projects to the State largely went unnoticed at the weekend.

At this time of year it’s perhaps not surprising that our universities start making new appointments as they prepare to compete for the hearts and minds of students-to-be.

State Scene has long argued that the Court-Barnett Liberal duo’s most disastrous move was privatising the Dampier-to-Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP).

We've received a fair bit of feedback in recent weeks about building magnate Len Buckeridge’s interview at our Success & Leadership forum.

Now that we’re well and truly into the Federal election campaign pundits will begin predicting the date of the looming State election.

I hate to be a killjoy when our Olympic athletes have performed so well, but I did feel it was time to put some of the bragging in context – but a little less subjectively than Roy & HG did in the various tallies they provided.

Labor enjoyed watching Prime Minister John Howard searching for explanations after one-time Defence Department officer Mike Scrafton belatedly surfaced to claim the PM knew the so-called kids overboard claims were phony.

WHAT is it about the company building skills that are missing from our entrepreneurial ranks in the field of technology?

How could wily and experienced politicians like Mr Howard and Tasmania’s late premier, Jim Bacon, have gotten it so wrong?

I hate to repeat myself week in and week out, but the skills shortage in Western Australia is looming as a major issue for this State.

Political scientists have expended tens of thousands of hours over many decades researching why people vote in particular ways.

Mr Barnett’s so-called new policy (‘Liberals release IR plan’ WA Business News August 5) is not new, it’s back to future – back to the unhappy days of

Overshadowed by some clever politicking by Labor leader Mark Latham on the US Free Trade Agreement, the Federal Opposition’s industrial relations policy has failed to get the scrutiny it deserves.

As the past two State Scene columns have considered the forthcoming State election – predicting Labor will win in the legislative assembly, thereby forming the next government, and the conservatives will re-gain control of the legislative council – this w

I write with regard to the article “Council ad deal queried” (WA Business News, July 22).

As the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre begins the process of opening its doors to the public, the foreshore building has attracted a fresh round of analysis/criticism.

Last week State Scene outlined the likely outcome of the forthcoming State election, which Premier Geoff Gallop will call for sometime between October 2004 and February 2005.