Government

Australia's company directors are more optimistic about business growth prospects in the year ahead.

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

Tech start-ups could add $109 billion to the Australian economy and create 540,000 new jobs by 2033, according to a new report commissioned by Google.

WA could lose out in the long run, with a likely incoming Abbott government paying less attention to a state perceived to be in the bag politically.

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

South Australia and Tasmania should not be disadvantaged as part of any arrangement between the big states on GST, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.

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.

Market analysts predict Australia's carbon price could crash to less than $3 per tonne when it links with Europe's emissions trading scheme in 2015.

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.

Industry has savaged the federal government’s planned changes to the Fair Work Act, telling a Senate inquiry the “backwards” legislation will hurt business, limit productivity and hand more power t

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.

Premier Colin Barnett says the federal government is trying to take over state schools through its proposed funding plan.

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.

Premier Colin Barnett says Prime Minister Julia Gillard has shown a low regard for students in his state in the federal government's school funding plan.

The artificial currency, Bitcoin, won’t trigger the next crash, but its mere existence is a sign of the problems facing financial markets.

The state government has short-listed three consortiums of the “world’s top stadium builders” for the Burswood football arena.

Treasurer Wayne Swan is encouraging Australian businesses to get "ahead of the curve" and push toward greater use of the Chinese renminbi (RMB) currency in their trade dealings.

Western Australia’s business leaders are concerned about productivity but less anxious about growth than their eastern-states counterparts, a directors survey has revealed.

Former police minister Rob Johnson has attacked Premier Colin Barnett as a "dictator" after he was overlooked for the role of speaker of the legislative assembly.

Remerging Western Australia's power retailer and generator is a backwards step, federal Resources Minister Gary Gray says.

The job market appears to be in good shape, despite the unemployment rate climbing to a three-and-a-half year high in March.

United States Ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich has hailed Western Australia's "extraordinary" growth and development, announcing the opening of a commercial services office at the US consulat

Industry groups have strongly criticised today’s shock announcement that the state government is planning to merge energy utilities Verve and Synergy.

Labor's shadow cabinet includes more than half of its 32 MPs, but not former minister Ljiljanna Ravlich.

Western Australian businesses are more confident about the future despite the current weak operating environment, a survey has shown.