Government

Local business chiefs are positive about the state’s economy in the year ahead, according to the recent Business News CEO Survey.

The Australian dollar is back above 79 US cents - just.

Oil prices have risen for a sixth day after Russia's oil minister said that global crude supplies were "not balanced yet," alleviating market concerns about a wind-down of the OPEC-led deal to reduce production.

Gold has hit a four-month high heading to a fifth straight weekly gain as the US dollar fell against the euro on an agreement for a political coalition in Germany.

To a large degree, Labor’s big budget repair plans have stalled, while newcomers on both sides of the aisle find their way around their house on the hill.

The Australian dollar has extended the gain it enjoyed from November's better-than-expected retail trade figures.

Oil prices have risen about one per cent to three-year highs, pushing the global Brent benchmark past $USUS70 a barrel, on further signs of tightening supply in the United States and expectations that OPEC's output cuts would underpin the market.

Gold prices have approached a four-month high set on the previous day after minutes of a European Central Bank meeting showed a more aggressive tone and boosted the euro against the US dollar.

The education, arts, accommodation and agriculture sectors were the state’s biggest job creators in the five years to November 2017, according to data recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Retail sales rose 1.2 per cent nationally to $26.4 billion in November, in seasonally adjusted terms, beating market expectations of an increase of 0.4 per cent, while Western Australian retail spending was up 1.4 per cent for the month.

Top cricket venue nod for stadium

Crude oil prices have jumped, settling near three-year highs after US government data show a drop in crude inventories and production, even as fuel inventories rose.

The Australian dollar has rebounded from its previous session's loss against its weakened US counterpart.

Gold has risen, hitting its highest in nearly four months as the US dollar swoons after a report that Chinese officials had recommended slowing or halting purchases of US Treasury securities.

Treasurer Ben Wyatt has warned businesses using labour hire companies to confirm they have met their payroll tax obligations, after a number of local operators fell victim to a scam.

The Australian share market looks set to follow its international peers and open in the green, while the local dollar has fallen nearly a third of a cent against the US dollar.

McGowan says WA will clear path for gas pipeline from Browse

Oil prices have edged higher, with US crude touching its highest since December 2014, supported by OPEC-led production cuts and expectations that US crude inventories have dropped for an eighth week in a row.

Gold has edged lower, weighed down by a stronger US dollar on the back of concerns about political uncertainty in Europe, while a buoyant stock market also drained enthusiasm for bullion.

Oil prices are little changed, trading near their highest since May 2015, as political concerns in some OPEC nations offset projections for higher US oil production.

The Australian dollar has slipped a little against its US counterpart which has strengthened to a one-week high against a basket of six major currencies.

Gold has edged lower, retreating further from last week's 3-1/2-month high as the US dollar regained some ground against the buoyant euro and traders bet on further US interest rate hikes after Friday's payrolls data. The dollar, which has remained weak after its biggest annual drop since 2003, had helped to lift assets priced in the US currency, with gold last week registering a fourth straight weekly gain for the first time since April.

Former Rio Tinto executive Denise Goldsworthy and former Water Corporation chair Eva Skira have been appointed directors of Western Power, replacing Sharon Warburton and George Cash.

City of Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi says she is focused on diversifying the city’s economy away from the mining industry as she returns to work after a four-month absence.

The Australian dollar is comfortably higher against a US dollar that has strengthened despite slightly amid weaker-than-expected US jobs data.

Oil prices have dropped from highs last seen in 2015, as soaring US production undermined a 10 per cent rally from December lows that was driven by tightening supply and political tensions in OPEC member Iran.

Western Australian merchandise exports were up 22 per cent in the year to November compared with the previous corresponding period, despite the month being slightly softer, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The number of electricity users disconnected for failing to pay bills increased around 60 per cent in Western Australia in the 2017 financial year, while more than 10,000 electricity users were on a hardship program, according to a report released by the Economic Regulatory Authority today.

The state government has announced a new board to run the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority and LandCorp in the lead up to their planned merger, with just one board member from the MRA continuing on the new body.

Gold prices have risen for a fourth straight session to reach a two-week high as US data showing solid home sales but a fall in mortgage applications pushed the dollar to a two-week low.

The Australian dollar is slightly higher against the greenback after the US tax reform bill - which will slash US company taxes - was passed by the US Senate.

The state government has revised its budget deficit for the current financial year to a record $2.6 billion but insists the budget outlook has improved while also confirming it has added Landgate to its list of potential asset sales.