Government

Agriculture Minister Dean Nalder has made his first major move since being given the role, announcing the deregulation of the state’s potato industry and a handsome $14 million compensation package for growers.

Wall Street has closed little changed after two days of solid gains as investors digested the latest round of big bank earnings and financial shares kept bouncing back.

LNG giants seek service link

The Australian dollar has surged to a nine-month high after the chances of a May rate cut slimmed further.

Fundraising campaigns run by footwear manufacturer Steel Blue and the Fremantle Dockers on behalf of local charities have both hit the $1 million milestone this month.

A local academic has warned that failure to privatise the operation of Fremantle Ports could have a negative effect on the competitiveness of the Western Australia’s exporting industries.

Ratings agency Moody's has kept the federal government's credit outlook stable at AAA, despite raising concerns thar governments of both stripes had been unable to reduce spending or achieve fiscal consolidation.

The unemployment rate in Western Australia has dropped a whopping 0.5 percentage points in March, to 5.5 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms.

Woodside pushes $3bn Enfield project

The price of gold has fallen from the previous day's three-week peak as the US dollar surged to a two-week high against the euro, and major stock markets rose after surprisingly upbeat trade data allayed concerns over China's economy. 

Wall Street have rallied for a second straight day, led by gains in beaten-down financial shares after JPMorgan's quarterly results.

The Australian dollar has pulled back from recent highs as the greenback finally finds its feet following days of losses.

THE state government is struggling to sell its economic strategy, with around 80 per cent of respondents to a recent Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA survey feeling there is no credible plan

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has told the LNG 18 conference that Australia’s increasing role as an energy exporter added significant weight to the country’s strategic influence, while touting the benefits for the industry of recently signed free trade agreements.

Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg said the federal government would be pushing states to remove moratoriums on unconventional gas extraction, including fracking, he told the LNG 18 conference today.

Total chief executive Patrick Pouyanne has flagged that the next batch of LNG projects may not be as far off as some think, speaking at the LNG18 conference today.

Gorgon lessons but no regrets

Global oil prices have hit four-month highs, hovering just under $US45 a barrel after a report that top producers Russia and Saudi Arabia have agreed to freeze output ahead of a much-anticipated producers meeting on Sunday.

Wall Street has closed higher, led by surging energy shares that were buttressed by rising oil prices, as investors scooped up equities at the start of corporate earnings season.

The Australian dollar is soaring towards 77 US cents amid an oil price rally.

Woodside chief executive Peter Coleman told the LNG 18 conference in Perth today there could be opportunities for LNG producers to move further into downstream markets, particularly in developing countries, where demand for gas existed but barriers to entry had slowed take up.

The federal government's decision to inject an extra $260 million into the Perth Freight Link for construction of a road tunnel has drawn heated criticism, with the City of Fremantle saying an additional $1.4 billion was still required to address a core shortfall of the latest proposal.

Western Power advised its staff yesterday that an estimated 215 roles are no longer needed as the utility continues a three-year program that has already cut more than 300 jobs.

The Australian dollar has broken above 76 US cents as the greenback suffers and commodities strengthen.

Gold prices have risen to their highest in almost three weeks, setting the market on course toward $US1,300 an ounce, drawing confidence from continued ultra-low interest rates.

Breakthrough as Turnbull agrees to pay for Freight Link tunnel

LNG 18 conference organising committee chair Grant King is positive about the industry's future, despite the low oil price environment and a predicted short-term oversupply, saying international demand growth for electricity will underpin a need for gas.

PM woos WA with $490m of infrastructure

The oil price rout could be a blessing in disguise for Australia's liquefied natural gas producers. 

The Australian dollar has been buoyed by a rally in global oil prices.

Opposition leader Mark McGowan has committed a future state Labor government to aggressively seek more defence related work for Western Australia to help compensate for the loss of construction job

Colin Barnett has made some strategic ministerial changes ahead of next year’s poll.