How highly do Ch9 value SOO?

ha ha, you are joking right? Your State is a basket case!

WA puts more money into the Fed budget through mining royalties than any money from any other state, and just wait till Rudd gets his 40% tax through!

Quote: "WA drives national economy

Western Australia is the nation's best-performing state economy, driven by booming demand for natural gas and iron ore that has boosted business investment and construction, a ranking of regional economies shows.

Capital spending in Western Australia during the third quarter of last year was more than double the average of the past decade, boosted by companies such as Chevron, which is expanding liquefied natural gas ventures in the state to meet rising global demand for energy, according to a Commonwealth Bank of Australia report. The nation's weakest economy is its most populous state, New South Wales.

The report adds to evidence of Australia's ''two-speed'' economy, which central bank Governor Glenn Steven has said may force him to raise interest rates, hurting slower-growing regions. Stevens increased the benchmark rate on Dec. 1 by a quarter point to 3.75 per cent, the third increase in eight weeks, and traders forecast he will boost it to 4 per cent this quarter.

''Western Australia should maintain its spot at the top of the leader-board in early 2010,'' said Craig James, a senior economist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. ''Momentum has returned in the state in response to the strong recovery of the Chinese economy.''

In contrast, New South Wales ''is a long way behind the other states and territories due to stagnant activity in the construction sector,'' James said. ''Government initiatives to kick-start growth would be beneficial in the current environment.'''"