Special Report: Most Influential

This is the fourth year in succession WA Business News has profiled the most influential people in politics, government, business and the community in Western Australia.

There have been minimal changes on the Labor side of politics since the Government won re-election at last February’s state poll, but there have been enormous changes on the Opposition side.

Western Australia has 27 members and senators in the federal parliament, and while some are very good at generating headlines, there is a group of five who are clearly the most influential.

Geoff Gallop and Jim McGinty are the two dominant figures in the Labor governments that have held power since February 2001.

The two most influential public servants in Western Australia, newly appointed Under Treasurer Tim Marney and Acting Director General of Health Neale Fong, are both far removed from the traditional image of career bureaucrats.

Unionists, lobbyists, party powerbrokers and industry associations are just some of the many behind-the-scenes influences on government policy making.

John Langoulant has undergone a big change over the past year, moving from his role as under treasurer to become chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA.

In contemporary government, the reality is that political advisers with direct access to ministers wield far more influence than traditional public service advisers.

The lean state of the Liberal Party in Western Australia following its February election loss is reflected in the small group of people wielding influence in the party.

July 12 will be a major milestone in corporate Western Australia. It’s the day Michael Chaney will end his remarkably successful 13-year term as managing director of the state’s biggest industrial company, Wesfarmers.

This year’s list of influential executives in the resource sector has two defining characteristics – it’s a long list and it’s dominated increasingly by multinational companies.

Takeovers of major industrial companies have thinned the pool of powerful chief executives in Western Australia.

If money equals power and influence, then Perth’s prominent private business owners must rank as some of the state’s most influential people.

The property and construction industry has created many powerful and influential Western Australians, none more so than Multiplex founder John Roberts.

Two recent Australians of the Year, Professor Fiona Stanley and Dr Fiona Wood, head the list of influential people in the field of science and technology.

This time last year, Rugby WA chairman Geoff Stooke and cricket legend Dennis Lillee were not regarded as major players in the running of sport in Western Australia; but that changed with a vengeance late last year.

The boardroom coup at the WA Cricket Association last September was headlined by new president Dennis Lillee, but standing with him were three prominent business figures, who were also elected to the WACA board.

The editor of Western Australia’s only daily newspaper, The West Australian, heads the list of opinion leaders in the state.

The debate over the future of Western Australia’s retail sector has provided a keen insight into political and community influence in the state.