Gary Gray

DESPITE a major spat with federal Liberal deputy leader Julie Bishop, political observer Peter van Onselen still puts her in his top 10 most influential Western Australians.

THE fate of federal government grants conduit, Perth Area Consultative Committee, is in limbo after a planned transition to the Regional Development Australia network on July 1 failed to materialise.

THE narrow win by Liberal candidate Ken Wyatt in the Perth metropolitan seat of Hasluck has swung momentum towards Tony Abbott as negotiations to form a federal government continue.

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

Last week’s failed leadership tilt has sparked further upheaval in the Labor caucus and yet another ministerial reshuffle.

FORMER federal resources and energy minister Martin Ferguson has gained genuine respect from a sector that nearly brought his government down.

TORO Energy has secured long-awaited federal environmental approval for its flagship Wiluna uranium mine, the first of its kind in Western Australia.

An independent review of Australia's franchise sector has recommended substantial reforms, including strengthening the obligations of parties to act in good faith and a stronger enforcement regime.

The state government is inviting bids for six petroleum exploration leases on and offshore with its 2013 acreage releases.The Department of Mines and Petroleum has opened up six different areas across the Midwest, Pilbara and Eucla for exploration.

For all the political grandstanding over new rail or road projects, politicians need to remember it’s the taxpayers’ money they’re spending.

The coalition has refused to commit to reducing application fees for 457 visa workers if elected to government, despite flagging plans to make the scheme more “user-friendly”.

The governments of Tony Abbott and Colin Barnett face big challenges when it comes to cutting spending.

Labor leader Bill Shorten has named his opposition ministry, with WA MPs Gary Gray and Melissa Parke awarded the resources and assistant health portfolios respectively.

Astrid Serventy has been appointed as an account manager at communications consultancy Cannings Purple.

The problems keep mounting for federal Labor in WA, with former colleagues speaking out against each other in a very public stoush.

The federal government’s plan to axe the mining and carbon taxes may dominate the mainstream headlines in terms of resources sector policy, but it’s a lesser-known incentive that has the industry on tenterhooks.

Both major WA parties have new faces directing operations behind the scenes.

Big cracks are opening in Australia’s compulsory voting system, and the major parties need to pay attention.

Western Australia Labor's left faction is hoping to oust Gary Gray from the federal seat of Brand, saying he should be an independent if he doesn't want to toe the state party line.

Simmering issues within WA Labor are set to come to a head.

Prominent Labor MP and former resources minister Gary Gray has dropped another bombshell, announcing last night he will retire at the next federal election, meaning all three of Labor’s sitting members in the House of Representatives from Western Australia plan to quit this year.

Our weekly appointments wrap includes Sophie Davison, Michael Hillgrove, Katt Osborne, Hayley Cormann, Nik Killis, Alex Ogg, Bradley Farrell, Gary Gray, Rowan Tracey, Patrick Chang, Geoffrey Greenberg, Luke Harris and Trinh Phan.