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The article reports that automotive parts manufacturers are expected to get special attention when the Australian government reviews its support for the automobile manufacturing industry. According to the author, the panel for the review will likely look at the effectiveness of the almost $3 billion that the federal government has spent since 2000 to support the domestic automotive industry.

The article focuses on the career of Ampcontrol chief executive officer (CEO) Alan Broadfoot. In 2002, Broadfoot built a new factory to expand a business it had bought in 1998. This was his response to the troubling condition of Ampcontrol in 2002. The new business was called ATF Mining Electrics, which made electrical transformers.

The article speculates on the impact of Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s (MMC) retreat from Australia on car parts makers. MMC plans to close its factory in Adelaide, South Australia by the end of March 2008. Auto parts makers risk losing an increasing share of the country's $13 billion automotive market as the rising Australian dollar makes imports cheaper.

The article discusses the strategy of various defence contractors in competing for a larger share of the defence budget of the Australian government. According to the article, BAE Systems PLC is the largest defence contractor after buying the local defence contractor Tenix Alliance New Zealand Ltd. It stresses that the agreement between the two contractors has given BAE access to billions of dollars in the marine and electronic warfare sectors.

The article focuses on the plans of Ron Fisher, founder and managing director of Raytheon Australia, for the company. Fisher wants to grow his business in order to become sustainable. He believes that the sales of his company will increase to $1 billion in 2012. He is happy because Raytheon has expanded in a span of years through its programs.

The article features the low-cost airline Tiger Airways Australia. The airline starts operating from Sydney, New South Wales. The company begins flying twice daily services from Newcastle to Melbourne, where it already operates a low-cost terminal. The airline offers one-way fares between Melbourne and Adelaide for as low as $70 compared with about $90 for Qantas.

The article focuses on the trends and market conditions in the global banking industry as of the fiscal year 2007. It states that large banks have written off nearly $US60 billion due to losses attributed to the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis. Moreover, it predicts that the risk of more losses in the banking sector will outweigh potential for gains in the coming weeks.

The article focuses on the fall in the value of the US dollar against the world's leading currencies. The improved prospects of the US dollar underline the emergence of sovereign funds as cheap credit dries up after the outbreak of the US sub-prime mortgage crisis. According to the International Monetary Fund, the total value of equity and debt denominated in US dollars is about US$50 trillion.

The article reports on the intention of defence contractor Tenix Group Pty. Ltd., which put itself up for sale in August 2007, to announce the winning bid as early as mid-January 2008. A number of companies have been waiting for the results since the deadline for bids on December 19, 2007. It is noted that the potential buyer of the company will gain billions in infrastructure and military contracts.

The article reports that winemakers in Australia are trying to enhance British knowledge of the Australian wine regions to stave off the upcoming problem when grape surpluses disappear and the inexpensive, high-quality Australian wines are no longer available in Great Britain. Larry Lockshin at the University of South Australia believes that British people will just move on to other wines when Australian wines disappear.

The article reports that Foster's, Australia' top winemaker and the world's second biggest, is counting on its brands and its global suppliers and network of growers to help counter rising costs caused by the drought. The company has entered into a one-off deal to ship in shiraz, cabernet and merlot grapes from 30 growers in Western Australia for the first time. It is also thinking of purchasing wine from Chile or Argentina for use in lower-end brands.

The article features biofuel retailer Freedom Fuels Inc. in Brisbane, Queensland. The company made its debut in the 2007 BRW 1000, ranked 639, just six years after starting operations in August 2001. Net profit after tax almost doubled in the year to June 30 to $2.3 million, and sales also increased by a quarter to more than $429 million.

The article reports that defense contractors Tenix and Thales will have a chance to make up for losing their bids to be the prime contractor for the Royal Australian Navy’s program to build air-warfare destroyers. The defense contractor owned by the federal government is scheduled to call for proposals to develop and build software and infrastructure to run the ship’s advanced combat systems.

The article reports that Australia-based petroleum refiner Caltex Petroleum Corp. is claiming that the government's plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions by selling permits would erode its competitive advantage against overseas rival. Caltex is calling on the government to classify it as "trade-exposed and emissions-intensive."

The article reports on the expansion efforts of South Australian fishery Clean Seas Tuna, which is owned by Boise, Idaho-based Simplot. Clean Seas has signed a contract to supply yellow tail kingfish to British retailer Sainbury's and has acquired the offshore fingerling grow-out facilities from Hagen Stehr's family, the founder of Clean Seas. The firm will also start producing bluefin tuna fingerlings in 2008.

The article looks at the prospects of Smorgon Steel Group's LiteSteel Technologies in Australia, which sells the lightweight building material LiteSteel beam that could replace steel or lumber. Builders such as BGC Australia and Metricon still doubt the cost advantage of LiteSteel while Alcock Brown-Neaves Group uses LiteSteel as roofing struts in housing projects. According to LiteSteel's head Doug Roem, LiteSteel will be marketed in the U.S. in 2008.

The article reports on Singapore Airlines chief executive officer Chew Choon Seng's claim that the airline will need to review its routes if demand for travel slumps. According to Chew, the airline is looking for signs that the credit market slump and high oil prices are slowing the world economy. Chew adds that the impact of high oil prices on the world economy is his primary worry.

The article reports that call centers in Australia are upgrading their work environments, providing more positive feedback and organizing prizes and rewards to reduce the turnover of staff. Some companies are also considering ways to allow call center agents to work from home to tap the potential pool of stay-at-home parents.

The article reports on Australian Trade Minister Warren Truss' claim that the global agreement to lower farm and industrial tariffs will miss the mark if negotiators give exemptions to politically sensitive products to clinch a deal by the end of 2007. Truss' comment came after the Doha round stalled as negotiators from the U.S. and the European Union haggle over lowering agricultural subsidies and tariffs in exchange for developing countries lowering their duties on industrial goods.

The article reports on the plan of the Chinese computer company, Lenovo, to elevate its brand awareness in Australia. According to the author, Lenovo will enlist the help of Australian athletes in an advertising campaign in the run up to the planned introduction of a line of personal computers before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Personal narratives are presented which explore the different experiences of the authors working as drivers for multinational online transportation network company Uber.