Western Australian public servants have postponed a planned strike over a new wage deal because talks with the government have become more fruitful since the stopwork threat was made.
Abbott government plans to tackle climate change, sell assets and slash the public service will come under scrutiny when Senate committees examine the federal budget next week.
Consumer confidence has slumped to its lowest level in over two years, with Australians worried about the impact the government's tough budget cuts will have on their family finances.
Regional Development Minister Terry Redman has sought to soften the blow of a reduction in Royalties for Regions funding by promising a more a strategic approach to spending and greater investment in the southern regions.
A new survey by the Australian Institute of Management has provided further confirmation that Western Australia's massive wage growth has come off the boil, with companies reporting a solid decline in average salary growth.
Borrowers can rest assured that interest rates aren't going anywhere any time soon, with the Reserve Bank of Australia again giving no indication of any future change to the cash rate.
Ratings agency Standard & Poor's has warned Australia's AAA credit rating could be reviewed unless significant cuts are made to the budget, providing the Abbott government with much-needed ammunition as it tries to win support for its fiscal roadmap.
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says the federal government's plan to shift more responsibility to the states for education and health funding might be a ploy to get them to push for changes to the GST.
About 800,000 businesses will benefit from a company tax cut from mid 2015 while miners stand to gain from exploration incentives announced in the federal budget.
A parliamentary inquiry will examine the police investigation into a series of car crashes that led to Troy Buswell's downfall as treasurer of Western Australia.
A union official sent sham invoices for thousands of dollars to a construction firm for work that was never done, the first day of a royal commission into union corruption has heard.
Australia has been identified as the world's most expensive major economy, with the cost of living in Sydney and Melbourne now greater than in Tokyo, London and New York City.
The Fremantle Dockers are closer to securing new training facilities in Cockburn with $10 million allocated in yesterday's budget but a pitch for funds by crosstown rivals the West Coast Eagles proved less successful.
Gross domestic product growth will stay below three per cent in the second half of this year and won't get too far above that in 2015, the latest forecasts from the RBA show.
Treasurer Mike Nahan says the government could generate proceeds of up to $3 billion through the sale of several assets earmarked in the budget as candidates for privatisation.
The government appears to have reacted to pre-budget industry fears by declaring only modest cuts to new housing market entrants' stamp duty concessions, however it still earned the wrath of some industry players.
The Barnett government has trimmed back its record capital works spend further, deferring spending on key infrastructure projects including the Swan Valley Bypass.
The retail sector appears to be suffering a hangover after strong spending over the Christmas period and is unlikely to bounce back any time soon, according to analysts.
Stamp duty concessions for first home buyers appear set to be trimmed, with Premier Colin Barnett hinting the change will be among measures introduced in tomorrow's state budget.
Premier Colin Barnett has not ruled out the possibility of disgraced former treasurer Troy Buswell returning to his cabinet, but says it will not happen in the "medium term".
The Barnett government would raise nearly $6 billion by selling the state's three major ports, if the Western Australian sales attracted the same surprisingly high bidding interest as recent port sales on the east coast.
The federal government is under pressure to rethink a planned tax increase and pension changes in next week's budget, with a new poll showing support for the coalition has fallen to its lowest level in almost four years.
