Mark Beyer

Opinion polls have always been a very rough guide to election outcomes, and this weekend's state election is likely to be no exception.

Gindalbie Metals has adopted an innovative approach for developing its $1.8 billion Karara iron ore project, with four engineering companies being given roles.

Uranium miner Paladin Energy and iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group have for the third year running maintained their status as the top performing Western Australian stocks, based on rolling five-year returns.

Investors looking for sure and steady Western Australian stocks offering capital growth and consistent dividends have limited choices.

Liberal Party leader Colin Barnett's commitment to increased education spending was one of the few standouts in the third week of the state election campaign, which has continued to be a lacklustre affair.

Investors trying to pick the next big thing in the resources boom poured their money into a diverse group of Western Australian companies last year, including iron ore, coal and phosphate stocks.

Iron ore miners and developers feature strongly among the Western Australian stocks to have delivered top returns over the three years to June 30.

Western Australia is in the middle of a once-in-a-generation boom, but you'd struggle to know that if you had closely followed the state election campaign.

Parochial investors who put their money into Western Australian stocks have just experienced their worst year in nearly a decade, judging by the results of WA Business News' annual total shareholder return survey.

Rio Tinto Ltd, the world's third largest mining company, has forecast higher prices for the company's core commodities of iron, alumina and copper after delivering a record first half profit.

There is fascinating debate currently underway over whether the global economy and commodities markets are heading for a major slide.

The Labor government entered the state election campaign with a carefully crafted plan, but despite its best efforts, the second week of campaigning was dominated by unexpected twists.

Retail trading hours and major project development emerged as the top business issues in the first week of the state election campaign, with Labor and the Liberal opposition both claiming they have a better track record.

The short, sharp election campaign called by Premier Alan Carpenter makes it imperative that the major parties focus on the core issues that will affect Western Australia's long-term future.

Three major developments in the gas, iron ore and power sectors this week have once again highlighted the ability of big projects to insulate the Western Australian economy from the global economic slowdown.

The attributes of a good leader include the ability to plan for the long term and put in place a succession plan.

Many Western Australians, myself included, consider Ralph Sarich a household name, so I was surprised last week to discover that many people in Perth have little or no awareness of how he built his $1 billion fortune.

This week's landmark decision on the preferred developer for the Oakajee port project has reminded Western Australians that Japan still plays a very big role in the state's economy.

Newspaper headlines have turned increasingly negative this month on Australia's economic outlook.

New treatments for flea infestations in sheep and for whooping cough were the winners of competitions run in Perth last week by the Australian Small Scale Offerings Board and Curtin University respectively.

One of the perennial topics of discussion in Western Australia is 'life beyond the boom'.

Osborne Park-based Structural Monitoring Systems plc has become the latest WA technology company to hit the wall, announcing today that it would be terminating the employment of all executives and staff.

Many business people in Perth hanker for the days when Sir Charles Court ran the state with forceful conviction and a single-minded focus on development.

Fifteen years after establishing Perth's first internet service provider, iiNet boss Michael Malone retains a disarming honesty and humour that is rarely found in chief executives.

Australia is among the world leaders in broadband penetration and regular claims to the contrary are bad for business, iiNet managing director Michael Malone told a WA Business News Success & Leadership breakfast last week.

Premier Alan Carpenter and Liberal leader Troy Buswell both made bold announcements on major infrastructure projects last weekend.

The debate over development of Western Australia's iron ore industry seems to have given rise to a number of myths that are distorting informed discussion.

More than two-and-a-half years after kicking off the process, the state government has finally been handed a final report on its infrastructure strategy.

German steel maker ThyssenKrupp has thrown its support behind Moly Mines Ltd's delayed $1.1 billion Spinifex Ridge project by signing a 10 year offtake agreement and agreeing to invest equity in the project.

While the world is full of brave people who try to predict the future, the fluctuating fortunes of Western Australian energy companies Alinta and The Griffin Group show how dangerous this practice can be.

There are two committees in Perth that can be considered centres of commercial and public influence - the University of Western Australia's Business School board and the Committee for Perth.

It's often said that true character is revealed in times of adversity, and in the past 18 months Perth has witnessed two enormous boardroom battles that have shone a revealing light on some of the state's most prominent company directors.