Opinion

We’re a bunch of worriers who can’t take our eyes off the proverbial car crashes that keep on happening in Western Australia.

Colin Barnett left a nagging doubt about the ultimate cost of the project. And that, in the end, could prove to be the real barbecue stopper.

Industry funds must face up to questions over governance, transparency and accountability.

It is not the season to be jolly as credit markets continue to crunch banks and governments in a low-growth world.

Western Australia is considered a boom state but the weakness in the residential property market and other industry sectors is a major concern of our business sector.

Iran and the US are fighting a tense ‘war’ where no shots have been fired. But tensions are building in a scenario that resonates with the start of World War II.

When I was growing up, they called it Christmas. Now, in order to offend no one, they call it nothing. Sad.

Do you ever get to the end of the year and wonder what happened?

Will China be the next financial domino to fall? That is a question which was once unthinkable, but which is now being openly discussed, with serious potential consequences for Australia.

State politicians are unlikely to see any benefit from changes to the way their federal counterparts are remunerated.

We should be careful of adopting policies, successful elsewhere, that may undermine our national interests.

The economic clouds over Europe call into question some of the more optimistic projections for local projects.

Governments need to be more flexible in their use of migration to manage fluctuating labour demand.

The market upheaval of recent years suggests we need to start thinking differently about how we invest.

Liz Constable once promoted views on lobbyists different to those planned in the government’s new Bill.

How does your prospect perceive your words? New? Engaging? Valuable? Exciting? Compelling? Or are they boring, time-worn clichés?

Four must-read books that will help you thrive, no matter what the economy throws at you in 2012 and beyond.

Are we watching two world-class con jobs, or just another struggle between government and the free market?

Eric Ripper’s reception at the federal Labor conference last weekend shows how great his party’s challenge is at home.

Workers in other countries would jump at the opportunities offered by our mining, and oil and gas giants.

Business and political leaders need to consider what happens after there’s nothing left to dig up.

The latest controversy over native title funding does not augur well for a positive review of federal state financial relations.

The third part on Deloitte’s series on labour market challenges outlines the case for making those currently in the workforce more productive.

The Barnett government is paying lip service to calls for a comprehensive lobbyists’ register.

'I need more sales. I need more sales,' you say. Welcome to the club. Everyone needs more sales.

Don Newman, a young lecturer-mathematician, had been struggling with a very difficult mathematical problem.

Would you prefer to deposit your money in a bakery or a bank? In Australia, the bank wins every time. In Europe, some people see their local baker as a better bet than the local bank.

The minority government in federal parliament has thrown another curve ball with the appointment of the new speaker of the house.

It’s not only Liberal state premiers who are making Julia Gillard’s life tough when it comes to the mining tax.

In time, faceless proxy vigilantes could destabilise boards to suit their own agenda.

Remuneration reports are deeply flawed but with some redesign could deliver much more useful information to shareholders.

Amid all the noise about skills shortages is a long-term challenge about how business will meet its future staffing needs.