The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA said today it was disappointed the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission had agreed to lift the state's minimum wage by 2.5 per cent.
The Australian dollar is lower after the US currency strengthened following a report that Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell was considering more post-meeting press conferences.
Oil prices have closed mixed, with US crude settling higher before falling in post-settlement trading, and Brent slipping as investors prepared for a key meeting of the OPEC producer group next week.
Gold prices remain locked just below $US1,300 an ounce as investors wait for clues on the pace of US interest rate rises following the impending conclusion of a Federal Reserve policymaking meeting.
Australia outperformed most other jurisdictions as a destination for Chinese direct investment in 2017 despite a fall in flows and declining confidence in the country as a safe location for capital, according to KPMG.
Oil prices are little changed as comments from the Iraqi oil minister casts doubt as to whether the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will decide to boost output at its upcoming meeting.
Gold has inched higher, as investors anticipate the US central bank monetary policy meeting this week that is expected to boost interest rates, and ahead of a US-North Korea summit.
The state government has today released a report outlining the key advantages to setting up a new national space agency in Western Australia, but the opposition says more needs to be done to secure federal support.
Securing union support for his bid to introduce competition into the local electricity retailing market will be a major test of Ben Wyatt's political and negotiating skills.
The Australian dollar is lower against a weakened US dollar and the other major currencies, while market risk sentiment has flipped from upbeat to downbeat when Wall Street opened with no obvious reason.
Global benchmark Brent crude has surged nearly $US2 a barrel, lifted by concern about a steep drop in exports from Venezuela and worries OPEC may not raise production at its June meeting.
US dollar weakness has helped boost gold prices, but gains were limited as the market awaited clues from next week's meeting of the Federal Reserve on the pace of US interest rate rises.
BN 25th Anniversary series- WA has been slow to introduce private ownership to some state industries, although a series of moves during the Court era generated benefits, according to one prominent WA economist.
Oil prices have fallen on worries that global supply is climbing after US inventories rose unexpectedly and Saudi Arabia and other big producers signaled that they may increase output.
Gold prices have stayed steady, see-sawing in a narrow range as a weaker US dollar and trade tensions provide support but investor anticipation of a US rate hike next week weighs on prices.
Western Australia has recorded its first year-on-year economic growth in more than four years, while the national economy expanded 1 per cent in the March quarter, official figures show.
Brent crude have reversed losses, after hitting its lowest price in nearly a month following a report the US government asked Saudi Arabia and other major exporters to increase oil output.
Gold prices have risen as the US dollar has retreated slightly from close to a six-month high even as strong US economic data sealed the case for the US Federal Reserve to increase interest rates.
The Reserve Bank has left the cash rate unchanged at 1.5 per cent for a 22nd consecutive month, as it waits for job growth and an improving economy to deliver a boost to wages and inflation.
The Australian dollar has continued to climb against its US counterpart after positive retail sales figures boost the local currency and as the US dollar index falls.
Oil prices have fallen about two per cent, with US crude touching its lowest level in nearly two months, breaking below technical support levels as investors keep selling amid growing US production, possible global supply growth and nagging trade tensions.
US stocks rose on Monday led by gains in technology shares and Friday's robust jobs data, which gave investors heightened confidence that the US economy remained strong.
