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There's little doubt all state MPs learned the obvious lesson from Liberal leader Matt Birney's unpleasant pre-Christmas encounter with the Privileges Committee – don't secretly slip amendments into your Parliamentary Financial Interests Register, or else

Western Australia's innovation credentials lifted a notch earlier this year as the state joined forces with interstate partners to construct a synchrotron in Victoria.

It has been a long and very expensive road to production for the new technology HIsmelt iron plant at Kwinana, just south of Perth.

This year, Western Australia will move closer to becoming a world leader in genetic research, underpinning its potential to become an international powerhouse in the wider field of medical research.

After the hassle of lining up to check-in for an international flight and the ever-more-tiresome airport security procedures, a comfortable place to sit and relax before boarding is practically a necessity.

Qantas' stunning $20 billion order for up to 115 Boeing 787s has the potential to revolutionise travel to and from Western Australia by the end of this decade.

There is nothing quite like the intimate first class in the nose of the 747 or the delightful ‘private jet' feeling of business class in the upper deck on the ‘queen of the skies'.

Property developer Axiom Properties Ltd has signed a variation to the Heads of Agreement which would give Pivot Group Pty Ltd a 60 per cent stake in Axiom.

Six months after leaving Ernst & Young to start a boutique accounting practice with partner and career mentor Frank Cooper, Michelle Saunders last week found herself as the sole director of Cooper Partners, with Mr Cooper having been lured back into a big

The 2005 Telstra WA Business Women's Awards showcased the top echelon of female leaders, with Tracey Hodgkins named Telstra Western Australian Business Woman of 2005.

Women have been well represented in all of WA Business News's annual 40under40 Awards, and the class of 2005 was no different.

The juxtaposition of a high-powered career woman and a shopping centre may at first appear ill conceived. But shopping's not the reason Ellen Botha spends most of her days at Westfield Whitford City.

Michele Dolin didn't take what many would consider to be a conventional pathway to a career in finance.

If not for a decision by The West Australian to not take any female cadets in the year she chose to apply for work, Anne Tregonning may have ended up as a journalist.

It's not often that a political announcement genuinely catches everyone by surprise, but Geoff Gallop's decision this week to step down as premier and retire from politics certainly falls into that category.

Last week, State Scene canvassed some of the underlying reasons for the collapse in Liberal leader Matt Birney's standing among party colleagues during the closing months of 2005, which may well result in the emergence of pressure for his replacement duri

Steel, in case hot-headed speculators playing the Australian stock market had not noticed, is essentially made by blending two materials – iron ore and coal, with a bit of limestone tossed in, plus nickel and other stuff for speciality steels.

The Takeovers Panel has ruled favourably in relation to objections by both the Pivot Group and Saramac Nominees about the other's proposal to take over Axiom Properties Ltd.

The federal government has approved a fourth runway at Jandakot Airport and cleared the path for a proposal to develop 148 hectares of surrounding non-aviation land.

Perth's increasingly competitive cafe scene is challenging proprietors to go beyond the call of duty in their efforts to offer the best brews in town; so much so that many are seeking to transform their businesses beyond bare beans.

The WA Fishing Industry Council has joined an initiative with the Kailis Bros Fishing Group and Abacus Fisheries to promote unique Western Australian blue swimmer crabs.

All the talk around the premium olive growing region of Moore River at the moment is of an imminent announcement regarding an exciting new food event – oil related no doubt.

Participation rates for women at work may be at a highest-ever 45 per cent, and 56 per cent of university graduates may be female, but such figures can lead to false assumptions when it comes to women in the corporate world.

Greening Australia is the largest environmental organisation in Australia, but its work is far removed from the confrontational approach associated with some conservation groups.

The female managing director is a rare breed in Perth, particularly in the resources industry, but Eve Howell is perfectly at ease with her role as regional vice-president and MD at Apache Energy Limited, a US-based company with a market capitalisation of

‘Everyone makes money in a boom' and ‘every deal is a winner' are statements that ought to be consigned to that list of other great lies, such as the ‘cheque is in the mail' – a point that close observers of the deals of 2005 will have noted.

Three high-profile transactions launched during 2005 ran into unexpected difficulties, providing telling reminders that even the best-laid plans can run off course.

Western Australian companies raised a record $3 billion in new equity issues in 2005, underpinning a second boom year for local broking firms Patersons Securities and Euroz Securities.

Private equity investors participated in some of the largest and most notable transactions in Western Australia in 2005, including the rescue of biotech company Chemeq and the acquisition of EG Green Group.

The boom conditions in Western Australia's iron ore industry have underpinned a rapid increase in capital raisings by current and aspiring iron ore miners.

With one of Australia's biggest private property portfolios, Cape Bouvard Investments prefers to discretely carry on business in Perth.

With Western Australia entering what promises to be another year of strong economic expansion, the major challenge facing the state continues to be managing its rapid growth.