Government

Western Australian senator Mathias Cormann will be Acting Prime Minister next week, with Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop overseas and the embattled Barnaby Joyce to take leave.

Western Australia's electoral system has become stuck in the past amid outdated legislation and a lack of funding, a parliamentary inquiry into the 2017 state election has found.

Western Australia’s unemployment rate has steadied at 5.7 per cent in January, seasonally adjusted, despite a slight dip in the number of people employed.

The Australian dollar has jumped above 79 US cents with the US currency remaining weak after US inflation figures came in higher than expected.

Oil prices have rebounded after US crude stocks rose less than expected and Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said major oil producers would prefer tighter markets than to end supply cuts too early.

Alcoa of Australia manager and Kwinana Industries Council president David Honey has been preselected as the Liberal candidate for a by-election in the seat of Cottesloe.

The Australian dollar has slipped against a weakened US counterpart, but still remains above 78 US cents.

Oil prices are flat, bouncing back from an early slide as the US dollar fell to a one-week low, which encouraged buying of US dollar-denominated crude at session lows.

Gold prices have risen as the US dollar has slipped and markets anticipate the release of impending US inflation data that may offer some clues on the pace of future Federal Reserve interest rate increases.

Gold prices have risen as the US dollar has eased, but gains are expected to be muted ahead of inflation data from the United States later this week that could mean US interest rates rise faster than expected.

An east coast energy retailer backed by a French multinational will become the fifth player selling to consumers in the local gas market, after receiving approval by the Economic Regulation Authority today.

An international trade body has warned the recent package of tax cuts in the US will lead to a reduction in that country’s foreign investment stock overseas, with Australia potentially vulnerable.

Congestion on the national broadband network has eased as more customers turn to higher speed plans after rollout company NBN Co slashed its top speed packages last year.

Gold has slipped, under pressure from a firmer US dollar and worries about rising global interest rates, but still found some support as a safe-haven asset as world stock markets fell.

Oil prices have slid more than three per cent on Friday as US futures fell below $US60 a barrel for the first time since December on renewed concerns about rising crude supplies.

The Australian dollar has regained some lost ground against the US dollar which itself has preserved its recent gains.

A global upswing driven by the manufacturing and industrial sectors will provide a tailwind for Australia’s economy, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia’s quarterly statement on monetary policy, but underlying inflation is expected to remain low until at least mid 2020.

Altura Mining directors Allan Buckler and Paul Mantell and AusCann Holdings directors Mal Washer and Harry Karelis have been among a group of major Western Australian investors to have the value of their portfolios hit as markets have fluctuated in recent weeks.

Changes to the accounting treatment of leases to be introduced next year could pose problems for the state government’s financial boffins, bringing numerous contracts onto agency balance sheets, including potentially $1.3 billion worth in the case of power generator Synergy.

Although now far from the political spotlight, Colin Barnett has warned of significant upheaval if the GST mess isn’t sorted out.

The Australian dollar has slipped to a six-week low against its US counterpart, before regaining some ground, as the US dollar has extended its recent gains.

Oil prices have fallen to their lowest in six weeks after data shows that US crude output had reached record highs and the North Sea's largest crude pipeline reopened following an outage.

Gold prices are flat, slumping early on concern about rising US bond yields and global interest rates, but buyers emerged to lift bullion when it hit a technical support level at about $US1,312 an ounce.

A joint venture between a subsidiary of Carnegie Clean Energy and contractor Lendlease has won $6.8 million of work to install and operate a renewable powered microgrid in the Mid West town of Kalbarri.

The Australian dollar has fallen almost half a US cent against its US counterpart as equity markets continue to bounce back from a sell-off bloodbath that wiped $US4 trillion off the value of shares.

Oil prices have fallen to a one-month low after US data showed a build in inventories and record high crude production, raising worries that the market could be in for more selling, exposing speculators that have bet big on upward momentum in crude.

Gold has slipped as the US dollar has strengthened and global shares have clawed their way off two-month lows, though bullion was underpinned by the view that the dollar's bear run remains in place despite rate hike expectations.

The state government has announced the formation of a development committee to guide three key projects in Bunbury, with Bunbury Chamber of Commerce and Industries president David Kerr and The Apprentice and Traineeship Company chief executive Stan Liaros among those selected for the committee.

The Australian dollar has crept a little higher against its US counterpart the day after global equity markets plunged amid widespread sell-offs that wiped out $US4 trillion in value - $66 billion of it off Australian shares.

Oil has fallen for a third day as the US dollar rose to its highest in more than a week in the wake of a sharp sell-off on Wall Street and other stock markets, a global rout that wiped out $US4 trillion ($A5.1 trillion) in value.

Gold prices have fallen one per cent to a 2-1/2-week low, as investors focused on expectations for higher US interest rates, even as US stock markets swung wildly in both directions a day after the Dow and SP 500 indexes tumbled.

Western Australian small businesses are unhappy with the current state of the economy but are the most optimistic in the nation about its future, a survey has found.