Government

Moody’s has lifted the outlook on Western Australia's Aa2 credit rating from ‘stable’ to ‘positive’, citing the state government's "strong fiscal resolve" as a key factor.

China’s economic slowdown and the lingering threat of a trade war between the world’s largest country and the US are the biggest threats to Western Australia, according to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA.

The Australian share market has edged up to close higher, but the Aussie dollar took a dive after NAB joined its big four rivals in hiking its variable mortgage rates.

The unemployment rate in Western Australia edged lower in December, but was higher than the previous corresponding period.

Treasurer Ben Wyatt has said he does not think BHP Group has been a bad corporate citizen after it was today revealed the iron ore miner might owe up to $300 million to the state in royalties, the company’s third such battle in recent years.

Australian shares are higher as renewed US-China trade optimism lifts global equities, with the local energy and financial sectors particularly buoyant in early trade.

Lobsters were sold for as little as $30 per kilogram under an initiative to encourage domestic supply, according to an unpublished government report which found the Local Lobster Program at least partially met two major objectives but also raised numerous concerns.

Leaders interviewed for the annual Business News CEO survey suggest that forward-looking decisions on energy policy and tax will be vital for WA’s future prosperity.

Asian shares have crept higher as upbeat bank earnings bolstered Wall Street, while an anti-climactic end to the latest chapter in the Brexit saga gave sterling a moment's peace.

Australian shares have largely avoided fresh Brexit vote drama to close the day higher, though mining shares weighed on the local market.

Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly has signalled he may well walk back plans to take control of about 17 per cent of an enlarged local lobster catch, saying his priorities would be an International Lobster Festival in Perth and a domestic quota.

The Australian share market has opened flat as market sentiment is pulled in opposite directions by optimism about a Chinese economic stimulus package, and pessimism about the UK House of Commons defeat of the Brexit deal.

Wind and solar generation backed by storage are competitive with coal and gas, according to a recent report by the CSIRO, but that does not mean coal-fired generation will be out of the picture.

More than a third of Australian risk management experts believe legislative and regulatory changes are the biggest threat to local businesses this year, ahead of a federal election and growing economic protectionism overseas.

The state government's trend of appointing female leaders to run key agencies has continued, with Kaylene Gulich appointed chief executive of the Western Australian Treasury Corporation today.

Job vacancies in Australia edged higher in the three months to November to notch an all-time peak, hinting that demand for labour remains strong despite a low unemployment rate.

Industry super roars to the lead

The state government has hit a key milestone in the partial privatisation of Landgate, seeking a private sector operator to undertake automated land titling transactions.

Employers are expected to add more staff in the first three months of 2019 than at any time in the past four years in Western Australia, according to new research by recruitment firm Manpower Group.

Opponents continue to blast government changes to lobster licensing arrangements as it emerges that, despite the state potentially pocketing nearly $70 million annually from the moves, a cost benefit analysis of the major policy shift unveiled in December was not undertaken.

Western Australia exported its highest ever value of goods in a single month in November, as the nation posted another trade surplus.

The Australian share market is flat despite renewed optimism over US-China trade relations, with the big banks and supermarkets dragging in early trade.

Labor plans overhaul of job welfare

Gold has risen again, just below a more than six-month peak hit in the last session, as the dollar slid on reduced chances of further rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve, and as the United States and China resumed trade talks.

Oil prices have edged higher, rebounding further from 18-month lows reached in December, on support from OPEC production cuts and steadying equities markets.

Amazon.com and Netflix have fuelled a second straight session of gains on Wall Street, as the resumption of US-China trade talks helped ease concerns that have pummelled the market in recent months.

The ASX has shaken off most of its losses from its dismal December, closing at its highest level in over a month.

The final months of 2018 hit investors in Western Australian stocks hard, with the Business News index of 30 local ASX-listed companies falling 13.3 per cent.

The Australian share market has burst out the gate with heavyweight mining and banking stocks leading the way, while an oil price leap also has the energy sector surging.

Western Gas hatches new WA LNG project

Oil has risen nearly two per cent after proposed trade talks between the United States and China eased some fears about a global economic slowdown, but gains were capped after the US reported a sharp build in refined product inventories.

Wall Street has surged to close at its highest level in two weeks after a strong jobs report and assurances from US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that the central bank would be patient and flexible in steering the course of interest rates.