Opinion

Many readers of State Scene will remember Pete Seeger’s popular and catchy song of the 1960s, ‘Where have all the Flowers Gone’. It’s perhaps because the word, flowers, seems to rhyme with ‘farmers’ that I’ve found myself humming it lately.

In a comment piece last September, I raised the issue of foreign investment in Australian assets.

State Scene recently met a Western Australian federal MP who gives considerable thought to precisely what’s happening at senior political ranks.

While many think the government of Kevin Rudd won a mandate for a change in industrial relations following its recent election win, there’s a good chance that very little will alter any time soon.

Many readers will know that, when reference is made to the world’s second oldest profession, it’s spying that’s being discussed.

An experiment in public sector reform came to an untimely end last week with the resignation of Health Department director general Neale Fong.

I have spent the past fortnight immersing myself in issues relating to women in business.

Mr McGinty went out on a limb when he recruited Dr Fong to head up the state’s ambitious health reform plans, following the Reid Review

I was interested by a report from a stock market analyst this week that showed directors who bought shares in their own company substantially outperformed the market.

Former state Liberal leader Matt Birney’s recent announcement that he won’t be seeking re-election for the seat of Kalgoorlie means the Liberals, in less than three months, have lost two former leaders from their parliamentary ranks

The Australian cricket team has been a wonderful example of professional sport at its best and worst in recent years.

One of the buzz phrases of the 1980s and 1990s was “the now generation”.

The holiday season is usually a slow news period, but one very important announcement that came out between Christmas and new year was the state government’s mid-year budget review.

A bit of news late last year aroused my interest – the results of two private companies that had restructured their business with positive outcomes

State Scene hopes opportunities arise during 2008 that will enable a historical assessment of recent contemporary events, making them more meaningful in the wider context.

Future generations of Western Australians are likely to recall 2007 because of several significant, indeed unique, political events.

Now that Kevin Rudd’s 42-member ministry is firmly ensconced in Canberra, a few things need clearing up.

With world leaders gathered in Bali for this week’s climate change summit, it is instructive to look closer to home to see what is happening on the ground.

No wonder people get cynical about politics.

When Coogee Chemicals boss Gordon Martin addressed a WA Business News breakfast last month, he said one of his golden rules was that there was no room for politics in running a business.

Is one of the answers to our skills shortage right under out noses?

“It’s the economy, stupid” was the one liner often repeated by those inside the Bill Clinton camp that so convincingly toppled George H Bush’s Republican administration in 1992.

Now that the federal election is over there’ll be a few former Liberal MPs looking for work.

The government-versus-government blame game, one of the real blots on the Australian political and business landscape, has come to an end. Or has it?

Last weekend’s federal election was a resounding victory for Labor, which has been given a mandate to introduce significant shifts in key policy areas such as industrial relations, climate change, environmental management and education.

With election day 2007 just more than a day away, State Scene now offers a last look at what the likely outcome may be.

One of the major roles of newspapers is to shine a light on the communities they serve and highlight some of the important trends and issues.

Last week I outlined where I thought John Howard went wrong 18 months ago, and why I think it has put him in a losing position now.

I may be one week premature on this, but with just more than a week to go before the federal election, I thought it was worth discussing the poll.

This column is not about the forthcoming election, but I do have to kick off with a story about voting.

Wall-to-wall Labor government in Australia and flat-management theory do not appear to have much in common.

State Environment Minister David Templeman has set tongues wagging after he effectively vetoed one of the final decisions handed down by acting Environmental Protection Authority chairman Barry Carbon.