Opinion

Plunging financial markets are sure to dent WA’s economic prospects, but the positive factors driving strong growth have not suddenly evaporated.

While financial markets have been focused on European and US debt problems, the real issue is clearly global economic growth, which now appears to be faltering badly.

Chinese capitalist ‘culture’ is not something we need to adopt in Australia.

The Baltic Dry Index has barely moved over the past month, a fact which has escaped hysterical share traders and expert commentators, but one which is very good news for Australia, especially WA.

Colin Barnett has moved to sideline water as a political issue as the state heads towards an election in 2013.

Will motorists be the next sector up in arms about rising costs?

The success of the resources states is making things tough in the rest of the country.

Figures giving the ‘value’ of investment in major projects are misleading, given the amount of ‘offshoring’ under way.

Appropriate risk allocation on major construction projects goes a long way to helping avoid cost overruns, delays and disputes.

Energy policy isn’t playing out well for federal Labor, and there could be implications for the party’s leadership.

The Nationals leader Brendon Grylls has devised a bold decentralisation policy involving nine towns and $86m this year.

Australia’s superannuation sector needs to start practising what it preaches.

Understanding how the internet affects traditional businesses seems to be a young person’s game.

There has been encouraging policy progress on dealing with labour shortages but there’s still work to be done.

Iron ore and coal mining companies shouldn’t treat the MRRT lightly – the ATO will be looking to collect every dollar it’s entitled to.

The money merchants are licking their chops at the prospect of an international carbon trading market.

Champagne corks will be popping in Kalgoorlie next week as delegates gather for the annual Diggers and Dealers forum – but not anywhere else.

The business community needs to assemble more evidence to get industrial relations reform back on the political agenda.

A recent report suggests government support for wind and solar ‘farms’ will cost jobs.

The government has a chance to prove the claim that the Liberals don’t really care about public transport is a myth.

Government intervention in markets rarely has a positive long-term effect on the economy.

Early preparation brings advantage, and more confidence of a good outcome.

The way our public transport network is run is unsustainable.

The clamour in the business community is growing louder for he law to be debated

Be wary of what may fill the space vacated by the passing of the scandal-plagued News of the World.

Last Sunday's launch of the federal government's carbon pricing scheme has had remarkably little effect on the debate.

The plotters against Kevin Rudd would have served Labor better by axing all in the ‘gang of four’.

The revelation the state government’s Office of Shared Services is to be disbanded after costing taxpayers almost $450 million over six years is just the latest in a long line of public sector financial disasters.

Is Tasmania Australia's 'Greece'? The numbers appear eerily similar.

Colin Barnett has taken a bit of a gamble in naming Burswood as the site for the new 60,000-seat stadium.

Current events are exposing the limits of globalisation.

Is Australia an easy place in which to invest and do business?