Government

Commerce Minister Michael Mischin says he is open to the possibility of further extending Sunday shopping hours, but has not made any firm decision on the matter.

From council amalgamations to Elizabeth Quay, power prices to ballooning debt, Colin Barnett faces criticism whichever way he turns.

Two new oil and gas research initiatives have received promises of federal funding, with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd talking up the future of the sector in Western Australia today.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says plans to introduce tax concessions and incentives in the Northern Territory could be extended to northern Western Australia and Queensland.

We live in strange times when a state treasury is more bullish about commodity prices than an investment bank.

The coalition has refused to commit to reducing application fees for 457 visa workers if elected to government, despite flagging plans to make the scheme more “user-friendly”.

Federal Labor would set up a special economic zone in northern Australia if re-elected, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.

Penalty rates for workers are firmly in the sights of the coalition if it wins the federal election, unions say.

Average wage rates across the national economy grew by just 2.9 per cent over the past financial year, and economists tip continued low growth as rising unemployment signals a weakening labour market.

The federal government has promised $22 million for seven new trade training centres at schools in Western Australia, part of Labor's 10-year, $2.5 billion program aimed at boosting trade education.

The federal opposition is refusing to say when it will return the budget to surplus, with Liberal treasury spokesman Joe Hockey claiming the bottom line figures are "almost too unpredictable".

Events of the past week have shown that governments in Perth and Canberra face an enormous task getting their budgets under control, no matter which party is in power.

Who pays? That is a question no-one seems to be asking in the debate over solar-power subsidies, or the bigger question of who pays for the state government's debt binge.

Voters are being prepared for Tony Abbott to emulate Premier Colin Barnett and backflip on numerous election promises, according to high-profile Labor candidate Alannah MacTiernan.

The departments of Treasury and Finance expect the federal budget deficit to be $30.1 billion in 2013/14, unchanged from the government's own forecast.

Business conditions remain at four-year lows, while low interest rates and the falling Australian dollar have failed to boost business confidence.

Australian businesses are taking longer to pay each other in 2013 compared to a year earlier, in an indication that their level of financial health has not improved, according to credit bureau Dun

Labor says Tony Abbott will have no more excuses to hold back on his policy costings once the final pre-election budget numbers are released.

Expect costs to rise as falling revenue streams put pressure on the Barnett government's ability to balance the budget bottom line.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced $35.6 million in funding to work with business to retrain Australia's manufacturing workforce for the future.

The state government has gone back on its decision to slash by half the amount paid to households that feed solar power into Western Australia's energy grid.

The so-called PNG solution is a band-aid measure designed to sweep the issue of boat people under the carpet.

The federal government has invoked the ‘law of unexpected consequences' with its new bank levy.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the price of an average jar of Vegemite will rise by about 50 cents, if the rate of the GST is increased.

Treasurer Troy Buswell has pledged to keep the state's budget in the black, despite projections of a $147 million deficit in 2014-15.

The deterioration in the economic outlook underpinning the latest interest rate cut was so minor it is barely detectable in new forecasts from the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Federal Treasury has again been too optimistic with its latest budget forecast.

The Barnett government's cost-cutting measures in the state budget have prompted an industry backlash, with the government accused of adding to the cost of doing business in Western Australia.

The state government will embark on a record infrastructure spend of almost $27 billion over the next four years, despite a deterioration of the state's revenue base and warnings from credit agenci

The cost of refurbishing Muja power station, which was meant to cost taxpayers nothing, has officially hit $331 million.

Increased land tax rates, more rigorous tax compliance, and the introduction of school fees for children of 457 visa holders are among a suite of measures the government has introduced to lift reve

The Barnett government is forecast to deliver a $147 million budget deficit in 2014-15, with a blowout in spending and net debt set to place significant strain on the state's finances.