Government

The state government has suspended the Shire of Exmouth for six months following an investigation and public hearing by the Corruption and Crime Commission.

Acting Premier Liza Harvey has spruiked the government’s recent move to relax the eligibility criteria for Keystart and increase the first homebuyers grant, saying it had received more than 1,100 enquiries.

The Roe 8 road project will be cancelled if the Labor Party wins the upcoming state election, opposition leader Mark McGowan said today, even though the government has already signed a contract for construction, with $236 million of funding to be re-allocated to three alternative roads.

Former One Nation Senator Rod Culleton says he's recovering at home following an "unexpected attack" outside a Perth court yesterday.

OPINION: With the hot days of summer now upon us, many Western Australians might be confused about how safe it is to head to the beach, given the state government’s mixed messages on the threat posed by sharks.

Australian factory activity picked up last month on the back of improving demand and recovering commodity prices.

The proposed part sale of Western Power is not the only move towards increased private investment in the utilities sector.

The Australian dollar is lower with the greenback's continuing strength trumping any local economic developments.

Gold prices have edged higher as geopolitical tensions offset expectations of tighter US monetary policy and a stronger US dollar.

Oil prices were little changed in quiet pre-Christmas trade as the market waited to see whether US production from shale fields would grow enough to offset planned output cuts by OPEC, Russia and other producers next year.

Wall Street has extended a recent rally but finished the session short of earlier highs after several people were killed by a truck driven into a Christmas market in Germany.

The government has kicked a remarkable own goal in its mismanagement of climate debate.

Opinion: A Labor state government will seek to incentivise the public sector to more energetically pursue policies.

As we lurch towards the final days of 2016 it is worth considering what awaits us on the other side of New Year’s Eve.

Australia has managed to hold on to its prized triple-A rating despite the federal government forecasting a deterioration in the budget bottom line in the medium term.

SPECIAL REPORT: Many politicians, including senior government ministers, go through their careers as ‘grey’ men or women, barely getting noticed and having little impact; the same could never be said of Brendon Grylls.

Gold rose on Friday, climbing above the prior session's 10-1/2 month low, as the dollar and US stocks dipped at the end of a volatile week highlighted by the Federal Reserve's signal that there could be more rate hikes than previously expected in 2017.

Oil rose on Friday, edging closer to new 17-month highs, after Goldman Sachs boosted its price forecast for 2017 and producers showed signs of adhering to a global deal to reduce output.

Copper prices fell on Friday after two days of gains as rising stocks in London Metal Exchange warehouses and signs of softer demand from China dragged the metal further away last month's 17-month peak.

The Australian dollar has slipped again against its US counterpart, which has further strengthened after the US Federal Reserve said it is looking to tighten policy again next year.

Environmental advocates have lost the latest High Court application to stop the extension of Roe Highway through Beeliar Wetlands.

Engineering and construction contractor Civmec said today it planned to spend up to $80 million establishing a new shipbuilding facility at Henderson, and use it as a springboard into the federal government’s $89 billion naval build in the coming decade.

A group of One Nation supporters has lodged an objection to Pauline Hanson registering her party in Western Australia ahead of next year's state election.

National Australia Bank has called for greater leadership from government and more collaboration with business to help lift slow economic growth and create jobs.

Perth’s domestic gas users could have a choice between four retailers by July next year, with Sydney-based utility Origin Energy putting forward an application to the Economic Regulation Authority to enter the market.

Initiatives to encourage indigenous entrepreneurship such as accelerators, incubators and a government-backed venture capital fund were part of a suite of policies recommended by KPMG at the recent Indigenous Business, Enterprise and Corporations Conference held at the University of Western Australia.

Unemployment in Western Australia is now at its highest since 2002 with new figures today revealing a 0.4 percentage point increase to 6.9 per cent in November.

SPECIAL REPORT: Big businesses are employing an increasing share of the WA workforce, while the services-oriented economy maintains its growth, the latest BNiQ Biggest Employers survey has uncovered. Click through to see details on Western Australia's 170 largest employers.

Education, research, agribusiness and mining services will be the biggest winners from a recent sister state agreement signed between the state government and the government of Indian state Andhra Pradesh, according to Treasurer Mike Nahan.

Colin Barnett says the federal government should provide more funding to the state for major infrastructure projects to stem the economic slowdown that has hit since the mining boom ended.

Federal Attorney General George Brandis says he is unaware of any fresh action planned by the Western Australian government to bring the long-running Bell Group litigation to an end.

A $160 million project to build a utility scale solar farm near Cunderdin has received Development Assessment Panel approval and could be producing at 100 megawatts in time for Christmas next year.