Mark Pownall

Andrew Forrest has all the credentials needed to make a fine political leader.

Most in business acknowledge the need for more women on boards and in senior management.

IT is not often that a move by one person can shake up a marketplace but the defection earlier this year of Michael Ashforth to Macquarie Capital from Gresham has had a big impact.

THE Chamber of Minerals and Energy has called for an informed and equitable development policy for the vast Kimberley as both the state and federal governments position themselves for potentially divisive debate on the region’s future.

The mining boom has accentuated a new kind of fiscal discipline on governments, with electorates seemingly demanding a link between windfall gains and concrete objects.

After years of crying poor the regions are now flush with government largesse, none more so than Pilbara.

SPECULATION is mounting that Julia Gillard could be brought in to replace Kevin Rudd as prime minister if federal Labor’s electoral standing continues to plummet.

As the debate rages about the contribution of mining to government coffers, the industry has revealed that its members paid nearly $500 million in payroll tax last financial year, over one fifth of the money received by the state via that source.

AS the battle over the resources industry’s contribution to Canberra’s coffers continues into its fifth week, Rio Tinto has revealed it spent $53.5 million on the Western Australia community in calendar 2009.