Key Labor figures have backed a call by Bill Shorten to allow non-union members to join the party and overhaul the way candidates are selected but the opposition leader is likely to face some resistance, with union chiefs wary of the reform.
Western Australian voters will return to the polls tomorrow for a Senate election re-run which could have major consequences for the federal government’s legislative agenda.
Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens has urged the federal government to take a longer term view on budget outcomes, echoing similar sentiments from Treasury Secretary Martin Parkinson.
The federal government could take a fresh look at negative gearing rules in the May budget to help balance the books and make housing more affordable and accessible.
The parties gearing up to contest Saturday's WA Senate election re-un have expressed alarm at reports 75 pre-poll votes were allegedly cast into an unsecured polling box in the lead up to the poll.
More job losses are on the cards in the eastern states, with BP closing its Bulwer Island refinery in Brisbane and cigarette maker Philip Morris closing its Australian manufacturing operations.
A report by the Auditor General has found one in 10 government agency invoices were paid later than the required 30 day period, raising concerns of further pressure on small businesses.
Former Treasurer Troy Buswell has been charged with 11 traffic offences in connection with an early morning incident in Perth's western suburbs in February.
The state government has appointed veteran public servant Gail McGowan as the new director-general of the Department of Planning after an extensive search.
Federal opposition leader Bill Shorten has led a rally of thousands of disgruntled educators in Perth, who have closed more than 100 schools with a strike protesting education funding cuts.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has kept the cash rate on hold, saying the current level of 2.5 per cent will help to stimulate growth while keeping inflation under control.
Treasurer Joe Hockey has warned no individual or business will escape the pain of the government's first budget, as both major parties blitzed Western Australia ahead of Saturday's Senate election re-run.
Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has struck an historic deal with his state and territory counterparts that could see billions of dollars of new infrastructure built across the nation.
Business confidence remains weak but more Western Australian companies are looking to lift spending and expand their operations, a new survey has revealed.
The Abbott government has moved to repeal legislation that would effectively extend Australia's migration zone to ensure workers on offshore oil and gas projects obtain visas.
Migration to Western Australia has fallen by more than 40 per cent in less than two years, with a slowdown in the resources sector driving a big fall in the number of workers moving west.
The Abbott government has complained that a Senate inquiry into the national broadband network was stacked in favour of their opponents and didn't reflect the evidence heard.
Burswood residents who objected to Crown Resorts’ planned new hotel have failed in their attempt to overturn the state government’s special approval process.
The Abbott government will need to bide its time until the new Senate arrives in July before having any real chance at abolishing the mining tax, after Labor and the Greens blocked the government's repeal efforts.
Clean energy, aged care and disaster management are among the sectors highlighted as potential growth areas in the Western Australian economy in a new report by Deloitte.
The state and federal governments have committed $62 million towards widening a section of the Kwinana Freeway in a bid to reduce congestion on the major road.
