With Xstrata threatening to sue any and everyone in the WA government over its $17.5 million loss to PMA — a Brian Burke client — and WA Liberal Senator Ross Lightfoot dropped right in the same PMA mess by the AFR this morning, the legal fallout of Lobbygate is just starting.

The next big opportunity could be a class action of Cazaly Resources shareholders against the company for not using Burke&Grill Inc — a decision that may have cost the company billions.

It was sacked WA Resources Minister John Bowler, one of Burke’s little mates, who decided to deprive Cazaly of the massive Shovelanna iron ore deposit, citing his state’s “iron ore policy” — a policy which seems to have an amazing recent invention, according to Cazaly.

How different things might have been if Cazaly has been slipping the fat man a tasty retainer. Bowler allowed Burke to write some of his dodgy parliamentary inquiry findings about Xstrata v PMA to PMA’s advantage, so it might have been a small matter for Burke to similarly craft the “iron ore policy”.

But for the retention of a couple of colourful lobbyists, Cazaly could now be well on its way to developing a massive iron ore mine — a reserve that instead will remain undeveloped under Rio’s ownership for decades.

Shame, Cazaly, shame for not knowing on what side WA is buttered.