Special Reports

POLITICS wouldn't be the same without ideological differences, even within the governing party.

THE inner court of Colin Barnett is a small and select group, according to those that watch government closely.

STRATEGY, psychology, risk assessment - the card game of bridge sounds like the perfect accompaniment to the political career of David Wawn.

THERE has to be some advantage in being the only chink in otherwise wall-to-wall Labor governments across Australia.

IN with the new and out with the old.That is how outsiders expect the world of lobbying works when a government changes.

THE Western Australian economy ended the 2007-08 financial year on a positive note, with most of the growth again driven by increased business investment.

WHAT a roller coaster ride it's been in the past week or so.

WESTERN Australia's population is growing at the fastest rate since 1989, thanks largely to more than 32,000 migrants settling in the state in 2007-08.

LABOUR market pressures remain high in the Western Australian economy, with the skills shortage continuing to hit hard and the wage price index running ahead of the rest of the country.

THE value of the state's mineral and petroleum industry increased by 9 per cent on last year, with the industry generating $58.

THE state government posted a record surplus in 2007-08 of $2.56 billion, fuelled by significant growth in mining royalties and taxation revenue.

PERTH'S housing market has been through a difficult few years.

INTERNATIONAL visitor numbers to Western Australia reached record highs in 2007-08, while domestic tourism continued to struggle.

WESTERN Australia's property market was a vastly changed landscape in the latter half of financial year 2008, as the boom came to an end and the global financial crisis began to unfold.

BUNBURY will get its first new hotel in almost 10 years this Christmas with the opening of The Mantra Bunbury, attached to the Silos apartment development on the Koombana waterfront.

THE global financial crisis has had a big impact on two energy projects off Western Australia's northern coast, with Coogee Resources and Nexus Energy both putting out 'for sale' signs this month.

YOU'D think an artist commissioned by Andrew Forrest to create a 12-metre high sculpture for the Cyclone George memorial in South Hedland, and who made the centrepiece sculpture for the Sultan of Brunei's Jerudong Park Polo Club, would have quite a follow

ABOUT $14 billion has disappeared from the share portfolios of Western Australia's 20 wealthiest company directors since share prices last peaked.

What is your favourite holiday destination? My favourite holiday destination is Broome, and in particular, Cable Beach Club Resort.

A 15,000 square metre beachfront site in the coastal holiday town of Lancelin will soon be home to a luxury bungalow-style resort, the first development of its kind for the town.

ASK any sport buff in Western Australia what summer means in the world of sport and they will emphatically tell you one thing - cricket.

MINING company directors haven't been the only victims of the stock market plunge.

LOCATED among the colour and movement of Perth's cultural and nightlife hub, the city's 'cultural centre' between William and Beaufort streets stands in stark contrast to the Northbridge strip, particularly after dark.

HISTORIC statistics have only limited value in the context of an unprecedented market meltdown, nevertheless there is some comfort in knowing the economic position before the latest chapter in the slowly unfolding crisis.

WESTERN Australia's tourism industry has called on the new state government to fast-track tourism developments in the city and regional areas and help combat the labour shortage.

INCREASED requirements on energy efficiency and water use are expected to fuel the growth in green buildings for commercial and residential developments.

IN its latest annual results presentation, engineering firm Downer EDI included a slide that was a telling sign of the times.

THE waste sector has thrown its support behind the inclusion of waste emissions in the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, saying it will set a price signal to encourage economically and environmentally efficient solutions in waste reduction, recycling, wa

THE details of the federal government's carbon trading system may not be finalsied, but one Western Australian carbon offset trader is hoping its early adopter status will be an advantage in the new legislative environment.

HENDERSON-BASED shipbuilder Austal Ltd has cemented its place as Western Australia's largest manufacturing exporter, achieving $383.

SMALL Western Australian-based renewable energy technology exporters are reaping the rewards of lucrative overseas market opportunities, as the global momentum towards sustainability continues to build.

THE state's information technology and communications export businesses are getting a foothold in international markets, according to the WA Business News Book of Lists.