Michael West
Michael West comments on companies, markets and the economy. He is a former SMH business editor.
Michael West
SP-AusNet spared as Victorians pay for Black Saturday fires
Michael West Victorians will get to pay for the Black Saturday bushfires through their electricity bills thanks to a decision by the energy regulator.
Michael West
Ski operators snug with sky-high prices
Michael West Fancy a nice carton of hot chips for $11.50? How about a $5 cappuccino, after you've forked out $110 for a ski pass for the day?
Michael West
When 'big law' turns to bullying
Michael West It took a government to bring down Big Tobacco but there's no bringing down Big Law.
Michael West
Bloated power sector needs a regulatory jolt
Michael West Both Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott are ignoring calls for an inquiry into energy prices - here's more proof why they shouldn't.
Michael West
Country customers cop raw power deal
Michael West The 'gold-plating' of Australia's power grid is exacting a far heavier toll on electricity customers in rural areas than in the cities.
Michael West
How Australia topped the medal tally
Michael West Who was the real winner from the London Olympic Games? According to a groundbreaking analysis of the official medal tally by a BusinessDay statistician, the most successful nation at the Olympics...
Michael West
Beaconsfield mine plan a murky risk
Michael West Plans to dump 300,000 tonnes of toxic waste into the historic Tasmania mine at Beaconsfield is risky on many levels, critics say.
Michael West
Downward revisions indicate another sharemarket shake-up
Michael West This is the time for manipulation of expectations, when a billion-dollar loss can be a 'good number'.
Michael West
Full compliance is no petitesse
Michael West Whether for reasons of modesty, camouflage or sheer laziness, the large Australian arm of French water giant Suez Environnement has chosen to describe itself as a “small proprietary company”.
Michael West
Hidden treasure in mine with no future
Michael West The planned closure of the troubled Beaconsfield site ignores the risks and the potential buried below.
Michael West
The horror, the horror … Company's 'maker' could be a breaker
Michael West Business in Indonesia can be fraught, and sovereign risk is rampant.
Michael West
Buried treasure and toxins at Beaconsfield
Michael West As if befitting its tumultuous history, the life of the Tasmania Mine at Beaconsfield seems destined to end in controversy.
Michael West
Desal debacle: the Aussie revenge
Michael West They may be whipping us in the medal tally for the London Olympics but when it comes to profits, the French are copping a hiding.
Michael West
G4S nabs Aussie gold with questionable tactics
Michael West When it comes to winning world-class tax lurks at the expense of the Australian public, G4S is a true champion.
Michael West
Sandy Weill: big banks see red when a pot calls the kettle black
Michael West A big banker says big banks are too big, writes Michael West.
Michael West
How dodgy forecasts inflate your energy bill
Michael West If any further evidence were needed to demonstrate how the power companies, both state-owned and private, have been foisting unnecessary price hikes on their customers, it can be found in the...
Michael West
Minimising tax just became a lot riskier
Michael West The taxman has a blacklist. That's the quiet chat in the rarefied world of tax lawyers and their big corporate clients.
Michael West
The tax list you don't want to be on
Michael West The taxman has a black list. That's the quiet chat in the rarefied world of tax lawyers and their big corporate clients.
Michael West
G4S creates a few hairy moments for local screws
Michael West If the scandal over security at the London Olympics security scandal is any indication, Australians had better lock their doors.
Michael West
Black, purple polka-dotted swan or capitalism's swansong?
Michael West If history is any guide - and let's face it, history is the only guide - it is a good time to buy shares.
