Eric Ripper

A LACK of capacity in the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline is clouding the fate of the gas-fired power station proposed for Exmouth.

Last week’s State Scene lifted the veil on the unwitting moves by Premier Geoff Gallop and Energy Minster Eric Ripper that are helping Alinta further tighten its stranglehold over Western Australia’s domestic and industrial gas markets.

The State Government has hailed a deal with the Indigenous people of the west Kimberley as a major step towards the long-awaited expansion of the Ord River irrigation project.

A report by Western Australia's Economic Regulation Authority has recommended the Water Corporation should drastically curtail price increases proposed for the next two years.

International ratings agency Moody's has reaffirmed Western Australia's triple-A credit rating.

The state government is by far the biggest employer in Western Australia with 101,920 public servants in June 2006 compared with 98,621 in June 2005.

State opposition leader Colin Barnett has accused Treasurer Eric Ripper of misleading the public over Japanese company Inpex Ltd's decision to build a $12 billion liquefied natural gas plant.

The privatisation of the state government's 300,000-member superannuation fund GESB remains stalled, with an expanding number of problems - including tax treatments - preventing the state from giving the move the green light.

Money and power go hand in hand, especially in a global financial crisis.

THE world of lobbying was turned upside down with the ousting of Alan Carpenter's Labor state government in September last year.

The effects of a BHP Billiton-Rio Tinto JV would be felt all around the world.

A SERIES of moves by political staffers into roles linked to the resources sector reveals the growing need for corporate players to find their way around bureaucracy and political roadblocks.

The rumblings around Opposition leader Eric Ripper continue to get louder, with the party's youth division calling for a fresh face to lead Labor.

From council amalgamations to Elizabeth Quay, power prices to ballooning debt, Colin Barnett faces criticism whichever way he turns.

Another former high-profile politician has found employment in the business world.

Colin Barnett’s determined push to cut the number of local councils is a great example of how out of touch politicians are with public opinion.

Former senior federal cabinet minister Stephen Smith has identified Western Australia's economic future as a major factor in his audacious bid to wrest leadership of the WA Labor Party from the incumbent, Mark McGowan.