Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she will introduce legislation to increase the Medicare levy to support Labor's national disability care scheme to be voted on by MPs later this month.
The Australian economy faces a pothole in economic growth because non-mining investment is not adequate to fill the gap left by the fast-fading resources investment boom, an independent forecaster warns.
Premier Colin Barnett has again baulked at signing up to the national disability care scheme, saying the increased Medicare levy is the "easy" part of funding the plan.
Claims of 457 visa rorts are just a desperate attempt by the federal government to draw attention away from its border protection failures, the opposition says.
Leading Australian economist Ross Garnaut has told a Senate committee that the mining tax is highly flawed and may never raise any revenue in its current form.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the May budget will be more about the economic challenges facing the nation, rather than the upcoming federal election.
Premier Colin Barnett is ticked off that his complaints about the GST carve-up are mocked by other state leaders who think the state is "paved with gold".
The Reserve Bank of Australia still has plenty of scope to cut the cash rate, if need be, after the inflation figures for the March quarter were in the middle of the central bank's target band.
The nation's three most populous states would miss out on more than $2 billion over two years if Western Australia was given a greater share of GST revenue, Assistant Treasurer David
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has joined global business and political heavyweights as an adviser on a new, $US300 million, China-focused scholarship program established by a billionaire US busi
The coalition can't commit to returning the federal budget to surplus in its first term because it can't rely on the government's figures, shadow treasurer Joe Hockey says.
Western Australia is still the nation's economic powerhouse, and the gap between the best- and worst-performing states in the country appears to be widening.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott appears to be backing away from an earlier commitment to deliver a budget surplus in the first term of a coalition government.
Former West Australian MP Adele Carles has told a Perth court she cannot afford a lawyer to represent her in a defamation case brought by her ex-lover, controversial Treasurer Troy Buswel
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is still hopeful most of the states and territories will sign up to Labor's schools funding reforms this week, despite the reluctance of Queensland and Western Australia.
The federal government is expected to review modelling for its carbon tax in the lead-up to the budget, after a vote in the European Union sent the price of CO2 emissions tumbling.
An inquiry into claims of corruption and fraud at Peel Health Campus south of Perth has found no evidence of compromised patient care, but has made eight recommendations to improve its ma
Western Australia’s Auditor General says the Barnett government’s office consolidation plan is not providing maximum benefits to the state, because the strategy covers less than half of WA's govern
Struggling farmers may be thrown a modest lifeline by the state government, with the premier saying it could help out with bank financing but it won't be assuming any debt on their behalf.
Treasurer Wayne Swan has deflected questions about whether slowing world economic growth will push out budget deficits, saying international forecasts show a "resilient" local economy.
Veteran Senator Mark Bishop has withdrawn his nomination for Labor party endorsement at the federal election in September and says he's looking forward to life outside politics.
