Mark Pownall

THE energy debate is finally starting to get fired up in the public arena – long after the behind-the-scenes lobbying started.There is a fascinating chess game taking place, which would be wonderful sport if it wasn’t so important to WA.

WHILE the debate rages in Labor ranks nationally over the level of union power at executive level, WA Premier Geoffrey Gallop is focusing his sights at another strata of influence – the branch member.

HISTORIC tennis club Royal King’s Park will again appeal to members on a proposal to refinance the facility, this time with a redevelopment proposal presented by John Alexander’s Next Generation.

MORE than 10,500 WA businesses have been targeted by the Australian Taxation Office in a May 31 crackdown on those who have been lax in lodging GST-related statements.

I HAVE to give credit where credit is due.This week’s WA Business News focus is on our State’s competitiveness, how we stack up against the rest of the country when it comes to the critical issues of why a business would locate here.

MARGARET River winemaker Abbey Vale is hoping to emerge from last year’s financial dramas with a new look and expansion plans for its facilities.

BLUEWAVE Seafood is on the hunt for a new chief executive officer following the departure of Glen Bosman after six years at the lobster processor’s helm.

THE business sector’s reaction to Eric Ripper’s second budget has been surprisingly positive, despite a few tax increases.

THE Kitcher family’s half-century association with Rottnest Island’s transport links is set to end, with the split up of the massive tourism business that includes the WA icon ferry operation, Boat Torque Cruises.

THIS time of year can be a bit overwhelming for those not inclined to number crunch.Two budgets in a week is certainly close to delivering an analysis overdose.

THE Australian Taxation Office is pursuing entrepreneur Dean Scook for almost $80,000 over income and provisional tax liabilities dating back to 1996.

THE role of State government has been questioned lately, with some talk that many of the services traditionally provided by States could be shifted to councils.

ONE of the biggest issues in any business is that of succession.

NATIONAL retail giant Coles Myer has revealed it may have paid three times more than “fair value” in its takeover of WA-linked Australian Liquor Group – amounting to a potential loss of up to $36.4 million.

NATIONAL Australia Bank chief economist Alan Oster was in town last week, giving a few special briefings to the bank’s business clients.

TRANSPERTH’S Perth Urban Rail Development unit figures from April 2000 show the annual net recurrent cost to government over 30 years for operating and capital was at least $80.6 million – based on the (then) proposed cost of $941 million.

AS the State Budget fast approaches there are some in business who question the wisdom of one of the biggest capital expenditures ever planned by a State Government. WA Business News’ Mark Pownall and Catie Low report.

One is my belief that WA’s future lies with making Perth a lifestyle capital, a place where globally competitive people want to live.

While the Gallop Government ponders the immense cost of a new rail link to Mandurah, there is no shortage of advice coming from those in the gaming sector about where some handy revenue might appear from.

THIS year, hundreds of millions of dollars will be ploughed into heavily marketed tax-effective investment schemes, just as it has for much of the past decade – give or take a bad year or two.

THE editorial team at Business News embarked on a survey of the WA corporate finance market with some trepidation.It was not the scale of the market that had us worried, though it did turn out to be broader than we expected.No.

FOR those who have scoffed at the Internet’s impact on traditional business, the recruitment sector might change their thinking.

AT least 10 former executives axed from Hartleys’ investment bank operation have taken legal action against the WA-headquartered stockbroker with claims that could amount to millions of dollars.

TALK by certain unionists of natural justice as they held the WA construction industry to ransom stuck in my craw this week.

WESTPAC head of media relations David Lording answered the following questions posed by Business News this week.

The business formerly known as Hartley Poynton has struggled to convince the market it has a magic formula under the leadership of Tim Moore. Even he knows he has to start producing a profit soon.

THERE is at least one consistent agitator for change at Hartleys, though its difficult to know who he is working for.

IT is no secret that there is some bad blood between former Hartley Poynton executive chairman John Poynton and his one-time managing director, Tim Moore.

REVENUE growth from WA’s vital minerals and energy has slowed rapidly in the wake of last year’s softer international markets, with confirmation of this trend expected from State Government figures next week.

JUST how quickly our exports get back to double digit growth is one for the crystal ball watchers, but the key is that we need to do more to make sure we don’t go backwards.

CLIENTS are shaping up to be the key to HP JDV’s move onto the register of rival WA broking technology player Sanford.

ANYONE who doubted the growing competitiveness of the wine industry need only look to the recent sponsorship manoeuvring which took place at the recent charity event featuring former US president Bill Clinton.