Government

Gold prices have dipped, but still hovered near a three-week high, as the US dollar index bounced from a three-year low and investors worried that US inflation could heat up.

The state government’s chief information officer Giles Nunis is moving to the private sector after a recent review recommended sweeping changes to his office, which was established under the Barnett government.

Opportunities will grow in the environmental protection and energy efficiency space for Australian exporters as China looks to go greener, according to Chinese deputy consul general Anlin Sun.

Cutting red tape for wineries, breweries and distilleries, and changes to procurement laws to favour local businesses were two measures to support economic recovery highlighted by Premier Mark McGowan at a Business News Success & Leadership breakfast this morning.

The head of the Reserve Bank has warned any corporate tax cut in Australia cannot come at the expense of higher budget deficits, adding that recent cuts to business taxes in the US are problematic.

Oil prices have closed mixed with Brent paring losses and US crude turning positive as a weak US dollar and Saudi Arabia's comments that OPEC and other producers were committed to their pact on cutting supplies outweighed record US production and rising inventories.

The Australian dollar is a tad lower against its US counterpart which has continued to weaken.

Gold was on track for its fourth straight session of gains on Thursday as the US dollar slid to its lowest in two weeks on concerns about the impact of high U.S debt levels and tax cuts.

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Western Australia's electoral system has become stuck in the past amid outdated legislation and a lack of funding, a parliamentary inquiry into the 2017 state election has found.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