Trevor Whittington, CEO WAFarmers

A recent analysis by EP3 of the wool market got me thinking about wool, which seems to be staggering around and yet again threatening to repeat its long term boom and bust cycle, despite what we are repeatedly told about the huge demand for clean green natural fibres.

Money ... It's time to pull stumps on Metronet and accept we are not New York or London ... Power ... exploring the unforeseen consequences of over-investing in renewables ... Guns ... no logic in capping firearm numbers for recreational shooters, sporting shooters or primary producers ...

Nothing to see here. Move along. The $20bn spending spree with increases to JobSeeker payments, rent assistance, energy bill subsidies, cheaper medicines, and a boost to wages - if they are not inflationary, then what economic school does the Treasurer hail from? ... Unfortunately this generation of politicians has no recollection of value destruction so is spending as if there is nothing to see and nothing to fear.

John Hasell, President, WAFarmers. I write on behalf of the Western Australian farmers and service businesses that rely on the live sheep trade to support their families and communities. A trade that for purely political reasons your government has decided to end on the logic that it has lost its social licence to operate.

How is Aboriginal cultural heritage defined in the Guidelines? ... Are there any records we can search to identify heritage sites? ... What is an exempt activity? ... If I need a permit or plan what are the timelines? ... Isn’t there a better way?

Despite the cheap price of land in the Wheatbelt, and the abundance of jobs, country towns are not being bowled over by first home buyers, so what’s going on? ... We are following the route that the rust belt States across America have experienced for the past 50 years as cities like Detroit has collapsed from 1.7m people in the 1950s to 700,000 today ... for the benefit of the National Party, Liberals and Labor if listening, here is a policy idea which you could run with at the next election.

What is a sacred site? According to the government, sacred sites are places within the landscape that have a special meaning or significance under Aboriginal tradition. Hills rocks, waterholes, trees, plains, lakes, billabongs and other natural features can be sacred sites ... When heritage moves from easily identifiable caves, rock art, convict buildings and federation houses to mythical spaces that are not registered on published maps, widely known and regularly visited, then we face endless abuse of process, as everything everywhere becomes sacred with a price attached to any disturbance.

Where the line should be drawn between those who need firearms or use them for work, sport and recreation and community safety is a debate that's in full swing in Western Australia where the McGowan government is in the middle of a complete redraft of the laws as to who can have a gun and who can't, along with what size, number, ammunition stocks, property location, size and mental health.

Why do we have so many new car dealerships, machinery dealerships and electronic shops when the buyers are embracing the world of virtual e-commerce platforms for purchasing everything from clothing to cars? ... We need a revolution in how we buy and sell our farm machinery as the hidden costs of an old outdated system are being loaded onto the prices making expensive equipment even more expensive.

Even with the current economic uncertainty, if you think the skilled worker shortage problem was all COVID-19 driven and will self-correct over time, then think again ... According to a recent study, 87 per cent of global employers admit that they are currently struggling with skills gaps issues, which is probably why your machinery dealer is telling you that the wait on new equipment is anything up to two years.