Government

A peak industry group says new data showing a drop in apprentice and trainee commencements is cause for concern and reflects continuing employer uncertainty about the state of the economy.

Western Australia's 1.5 million voters will go back to the polls to elect six senators after the High Court voided the 2013 election result.

The economy is showing signs of getting stronger and that means more interest rate cuts from the central bank are unlikely.

Western Australians could go back to the polls as early as next month after the High Court could not declare who was elected to the WA Senate because of lost votes.

Voters in Western Australia will find out tomorrow whether they will go to a fresh Senate election which could determine the fate of the Abbott government's agenda.

It takes a fair degree of political skill to effect changes to even the most unpopular of taxes.

The City of Subiaco has thrown two new proposals into the discussion surrounding local government reform, flagging a merger with the City of Perth or extending its boundaries to claim a portion of

Opposition leader Bill Shorten has attempted to rebuild bridges with Western Australia's major mining identities, admitting to past Labor mistakes while touting Perth as the iron ore capital of the

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he supports changing the law to allow Qantas to be majority overseas-owned, but won't be offering the airline a "free ride on the taxpayer".

Premier Colin Barnett has warned more workers could lose their jobs this year, after the collapse of contractor Forge Group and a jump in the state's unemployment rate.

Australia's unemployment rate rose to 6 per cent in January, official figures show, the highest level since July 2003.

Toyota and Treasurer Joe Hockey are at odds over whether workers' conditions and unions are to blame for the company deciding to pull out of car production in Australia in 2017.

Consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level in seven months as worries about rising unemployment and higher interest rates causes anxiety about household finances.

The Abbott government is reportedly preparing to sell off Medibank Private for $4 billion without having received expert advice on whether to do so and how.

Australian business conditions have risen to close to a three-year high, a private survey shows, while business confidence is up for the first time in four months.

Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi has renewed her push to include the complete Burswood peninsula within the City of Perth, arguing the Barnett government's preferred local government boundary changes dimish the city's importance.

Rumour and innuendo is causing grief in Australia's renewable energy sector, an industry that craves certainty yet has found little in recent times.

Australia's economic growth is expected to pick up pace this year thanks to a lower exchange rate and stronger activity in the housing and retail sectors, according to the latest forecasts from the Reserve Bank of Australia.

The commonwealth auditor-general says the Australian Electoral Commission was warned at least four years ago about problems with its vote counting system.

Treasurer Troy Buswell has admitted the Barnett government showed a lack of "political ticker" by reversing a number of unpopular savings measures just days after the release of last year's state budget.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has rejected accusations the government is "leaning on" the industrial umpire in an effort to cut the penalty rates of workers.

Aboriginal contractor the Indigenous Construction Resource Group has made the largest pledge by an indigenous company to the Australian Employment Covenant - promising to deliver 150 jobs for indig

The federal government says any change to the modern award system needs to look at the impact of penalty rates on employers.

Former federal treasurer Peter Costello has been named chairman of the Future Fund, while Perth business leader John Poynton has been appointed as a member of the board.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has kept the cash rate at 2.5 per cent, highlighting an improved outlook for the local and overseas economies.

Export commodity prices fell in January to their lowest level for nearly four years.

The average annual salary advertised by online jobs site SEEK dropped by more than $3000 in 2013.

Soft economic growth and a weakening jobs market mean another interest rate cut can't be ruled out, a leading business group says.

Australian CEOs expect another weak year for business growth, a survey shows.

With Treasury chief Tim Marney departing for a role in the mental health sector, the Barnett government faces the task of finding permanent senior executives for several key departments.

The cash rate is expected to stay on hold as the Reserve Bank gauges the effects of previous cuts and the falling Australian dollar.

The voters of Western Australia will learn on Monday if they are to return to the polls for a second Senate election.