James Pearson

SOME of the Western Australia's top companies have cut or redeployed staff in recent weeks.

MIGRATION is such a broad ranging and complex issue that it needs to be concentrated in a single arm of government, the recent WA Business News migration forum was told.

WITH the drums of the global financial crisis still pounding their deep-toned warnings, the shrill sounds of peripheral issues appear to have been drowned out.

WA employers want more input into federal policy in order to stop a repeat of the ‘Karratha problem’.

Dealing with red tape, taxes and regulation are constant sources of frustration for any business, big or small.

Western Australia's business leaders, including Woodside's Peter Coleman, said today the state needs to focus on meeting its own skilled labour needs, as Queensland Premier Anna Bligh swooped on the state to poach WA workers.

Sustained rapid population growth in Perth should be manageable, but the cost will depend on how we allow the city to develop.

The state government is spending record amounts on capital works projects but setting priorities and meeting demand remain major challenges.

THE world of commerce may be guided by share values, net assets and project scale, and political power ultimately decided at the ballot box, the business of government is far more opaque – with influence far more mysterious than most other sectors of the community.Advisers

Fair Work Australia could be given greater powers to resolve mining industry pay disputes, and improve flexibility for carers, under changes proposed in a review of the Fair Work Act. 

BOTH major parties have committed to big-spending projects in their bid to secure votes ahead of the upcoming state election.

Industry groups have strongly criticised today’s shock announcement that the state government is planning to merge energy utilities Verve and Synergy.

Western Australia’s peak industry lobby group has repeated its call for the federal government to come up with credible evidence to support its proposed changes to the 457 visa program for temporary skilled workers.

Australia’s corporate regulator has banned a WA-based investment adviser for three years for market rigging.

The nation’s peak business group has revealed the four top priorities for small business in the upcoming federal election.

The head of WA’s peak business lobby group, James Pearson, is joining Shell Australia to head its Perth-based communications and government relations team.Mr Pearson has been the Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s chief executive for the past five and a half years.

James Pearson is now a board director of not-for-profit United Way.Mr Pearson, who was chief executive of CCIWA for over five years, is the new head of communications and government relations at Shell Australia.

The state’s peak business group has hired a former chief of staff to premier Colin Barnett as its new chief executive. Deidre Willmott will succeed James Pearson as CCI chief executive.

A recapitalised Stanfield Funds Management is set to resume trading on the ASX today, with a new focus on Asian technology companies and a strong Western Australian connection.

The head of Shell’s Perth-based communications and government relations team has been named the next chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Western Australia’s peak business group is facing competition for members after the Australian Industry Group established a Perth office, shortly after ending a commercial alliance with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA.