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A PUZZLING feature of 2003 was the fact that, despite the Liberals being in disarray, and with a weak and unpopular leader, Gallop-led Labor sometimes found itself trailing the conservatives in the polls.

HEALTHCARE equipment company Medical Corporation Australasia, through its 81.2 per cent subsidiary ObjectiVision, has signed a distribution agreement for the US and Canada with He

Western Australia's exports of processed food have doubled in value over the past decade and are now worth more than $1 billion. Mark Beyer reports on a WA success story.

NEWLY appointed Adcorp general manager David Morrison intends to achieve significant growth in the group's annual billings next year, a strategy that will involve acquisitions and development of the group's core advertising activities.

IT'S something a breath of fresh air when all the talk around town is focused on the likelihood of a pre-election tax cut.

KAILIS & France Foods has gone to extraordinary lengths to build its food export business, recently investing $15 million to upgrade its Osborne Park factories to meet the exacting demands of its export customers.

PB Foods, the parent of dairy manufacturer Peters & Brownes, has agreed to invest $7 million to expand production of super premium ice cream for the Japanese market.

INTERNET and email monitoring software developer WebSpy Ltd will utilise its existing sales infrastructure to launch the products of a new partner company into the tough US and European markets.

CHANNEL Nine Perth is closing the ratings gap on arch rival Channel Seven Perth, setting the scene for another hotly contested ratings battle in 2004.

THE ‘green' or environmentally sustainable tag has moved beyond a fad in the commercial property industry, with many players now recognising that savvy use of the green badge is beneficial to both business and the environment.

PERTH land developer Peet & Co has signed a joint venture agreement with the State Government to develop Western Australia's first purpose-built suburban transit village.

THE escalation in land prices, reduced availability of indemnity insurance, and regulatory delays at State and local government levels are the major factors behind increasing costs

IN a first for Western Australia, the Supreme Court has awarded damages to a plaintiff adversely affected by the creation of a local government's heritage policy.

MYAREE company Tasman Oil Tools changed its bank last year – a move that makes it an exception among small and medium sized companies.

THE Federal Government has warned there is just four months until the end of the transition to the Financial Services Reform Act.

An aptitude for learning has been an advantage for Natasha Court, the sommelier at the award-winning Must Winebar, as Julie-anne Sprague reports.

With the demand for community services increasing and the amount of money flowing into the sector not growing at the same rate, businesses and charities are coming together to find a third way of satisfying those needs. Noel Dyson reports.

David Pike wraps up the GWE auction.

LOCAL nanotechnology developer Advanced Powder Technologies has started a multi-million-dollar equity raising with plans for Australian Stock Exchange listing firmly on the agenda.

SIX months ago a contact close to the Liberals' parliamentary leadership group told State Scene that Colin Barnett's number cruncher, Darling Range MLA John Day, was deeply concerned about losing party endorsement.

THE looming concern about property prices, particularly investment-based apartments, is starting to focus attention on the perceived culprits – real estate investment spruikers.

INTERNET Service Provider iiNet is planning to build its own network as part of a strategy to capture an increasing share of the broadband market.

MILNE AgriGroup subsidiary Mt Barker Free Range Chicken will launch its first branding campaign next month as part of a significant retail growth strategy.

A NEW fundraising vehicle is giving charities access to home loan commissions totalling $100 million a month.

WITH 100 scientists on its payroll, a large headquarters in Nedlands and an operating revenue for 2002 of more than $7 million, the Lions Eye Institute doesn't appear to be a typical not-for-profit organisation.

ONE of the keys to a successful not-for-profit organisation is the strength of its board.

TWO young Western Australians have emerged as shining lights for the not-for-profit sector.

THE make-up of Western Australia's retail market swung towards the independent retail chains last week when Coles Myer agreed to sell five of its Newmart stores to Foodland Associated Limited.

PROPERTY investors have responded positively to Condor Project's apartment project, Condor Tower, located at 22 St Georges Terrace.

ONGOING research into the economic and social expectations of Generation X can present the marketing industry with some significant opportunities.

Health reform is one of the major financial and political issues facing the State Government. WA Business News brought together a group of key players last week to discuss the reform challenge. Mark Beyer reports.

PLANNED revisions to Australian Stock Exchange listing rules are likely to change capital raising activity and may also affect takeover tactics, a recent seminar in Perth has been told.