Government

Pessimistic forecasts for Western Australia's share of GST distributions have underestimated the dire outlook for the boom state.

Confidence among Australian businesses slumped in the final three months of last year, suggesting a slow start to 2013.

Western Australia's Labor party is "ashamed" of its own name because of the record of Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her federal colleagues, Premier Colin Barnett claims.

A Greens' bid to have the federal government disclose state government attempts to secure Commonwealth funding for a light rail system has failed.

Western Australia sealed a good deal with James Packer despite the billionaire being granted a $35 million discount on land on which he plans to build a six-star, 500-room hotel, Premier

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is backing away from a draft coalition discussion paper proposing incentives and beneficial tax rates to encourage people to move to northern Australia.

A steady national unemployment rate is a sign conditions in the Australian economy may be starting to improve.

 Job seekers had more advertisements to sift through in the first month of the new year, with an increase in ads on Australia's main job website.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has challenged the opposition to show how it would have achieved budget surpluses during the global financial crisis.

Unions are calling on Labor and the coalition to enshrine penalty rates in law and make annual and sick leave portable.

Retailers are demanding an interest rate cut after new figures confirmed poor shopping conditions during the Christmas period.

 Finance Minister Penny Wong has backed the Reserve Bank's assessment that global risks have abated for now.

Australia's Future Fund gained more than $9 billion in 2012 as improving global markets drove returns of more than 12 per cent.

 The Reserve Bank of Australia has kept the cash rate at three per cent, saying that fears about global economic growth have abated.

Australia's services sector contracted for the 12th consecutive month in January amid slowing activity in the mining sector and soft retail sales.

The federal government wants to crack down on corporate tax cheats by improving transparency and the sharing of information between key corporate regulators.

Job advertisements fell for an 11th straight month in January, a leading employment survey says.

Australia's export commodity prices posted their third consecutive monthly rise in January, Reserve Bank of Australia figures show.

The state government and opposition have questioned the true cost of each other’s major transport projects, with treasury costings for both parties’ plans still yet to be released despite months of

The state Liberal party has been the main beneficiary of donations from Western Australian business over the past year, new campaign finance data reveals.

Western Australia's alternative leader is unlikely to stand up to the Commonwealth to protect the boom state's interests, Premier Colin Barnett says.

Western Australia’s peak business group has challenged both sides of politics to permanently increase the payroll tax threshold, hand over control of energy prices to an independent regulator and c

Prime Minister Julia Gillard insists she hasn't fired the starter's gun for an eight-month election campaign, but is still demanding the coalition detail its policies.

Premier Colin Barnett has rejected suggestions he inappropriately used a government jet to fly to Albany for an election campaign launch, saying the event was not for him.

The state opposition has accused the state government of raiding Lotterywest in the lead up to the March 9 election.

Final decisions on $126 billion of planned resources projects during 2013 will determine whether the investment pipeline slows gradually or comes to an abrupt halt, an independent forecaster says.

With the election date set, Australia's business community is urging both sides of federal politics to quickly start fleshing out their corporate policies.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the 2013 federal election will be about trust when the poll is held in eight months' time."The coalition is ready," he told reporters in Canberra.

If Labor wins the state election in March, the $2.6 billion Elizabeth Quay project on the waterfront could get a name change. But it probably won't be Regina Marina.

Premier Colin Barnett's threat to withhold election campaign funding from the federal Liberal party unless it backs his push for GST reform is "not believable",  state Opposition Leader Mark M

Job advertisements on the internet fell by 2.3 per cent in December, federal government figures show.