Government

The Australian Greens and the federal coalition both want Labor's mining tax subjected to another Senate inquiry, but for entirely different reasons.

Qantas has rejected former prime minister Malcolm Fraser's claim it interfered in the case of two Australian businessmen languishing in detention in Dubai.

Former Premier Ray O'Connor, who was jailed for six months in the mid 1990's as part of the WA Inc scandal, has died.

Western Australia’s business community says a pledge by Troy Buswell at this morning’s debate with Ben Wyatt to increase the payroll tax threshold by $100,000 does not go far enough to ease pressure on companies. (Click through to watch the full debate).

Seven Western Australian business representative groups have come together in a united front against payroll tax, urging whichever party wins next month’s state election to “lift the tax on jobs”.

 The federal opposition in the Senate has put forward a motion of no confidence in the Labor government for its handling of the mining tax.

Western Australia appears set to follow Victoria and opt out of Julia Gillard's proposed Gonski school reforms, if Premier Colin Barnett is re-elected in March.

Nurses have accepted an in-principle offer of a 14 per cent pay increase over three years from Premier Colin Barnett, putting an end to bed closures and further strike action.

Engineers, IT professionals, corporate services managers and accountants continue to be in short supply across Australia, research shows.

The mining industry has backed the Liberal Party’s pledge to invest $20 million to ensure the continued growth of the resources sector in Western Australia if it wins next month’s state election.

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne says the federal government's Gonski education reforms should be fast-tracked and the necessary funding drawn from a redesigned mining tax.

The leader of the West Australian nurses' union says he was sworn at in a confrontation with the head of the state's health department as nurses made further threats to strike at public hospitals o

Treasurer Wayne Swan denies a proposal to ensure the costs of political promises are revealed soon after the election means Labor is heading for election defeat.

Burswood is the best spot for the new $1 billion football stadium, according to West Coast Eagles coach John Worsfold.

The issue of electricity prices has finally emerged in the state campaign after weeks of both major parties obsessing over major infrastructure projects.

Mark McGowan has done another flip flop on Perth's waterfront development, the incumbent Liberals say, suddenly backing a new plan and calling for the immediate closure of Riverside Drive.

The federal opposition says earnings on retirement savings are lower than they should be because of Labor government red tape.

The $440 million Elizabeth Quay development has become a hot election issue as the riverside development causes major traffic congestion in the city.

Foreign ownership of Western Australia's agriculture assets will be closely watched if the opposition wins the March 9 election.

Premier Colin Barnett says he may have "played some role" in controversial Dutch MP Geert Wilders being forced to cancel his speaking engagements in Perth.

A lull in the jobs market over the past couple of years is showing up in slower wages growth, clearing the way for a further round of interest rate cuts.

Adam Bandt says it's the Australian Greens, not Labor, that deserve credit for introducing a carbon price and taking steps to combat climate change.

Debt won't fall to levels seen under the previous state government while big developments continue in the state, Premier Colin Barnett says.

Premier Colin Barnett has derided Labor’s lack of vision for the city ahead of tonight’s televised election debate, saying the $440 million Elizabeth Quay development would become an inner-city "po

Australian businesses need to loosen the purse strings and start spending again, a prominent bank economist says.

The Australian Greens have accused Labor of putting the interests of big miners ahead of the national interest and the environment.

The Liberal Party has pledged $30 million over four years for health and medical research in their latest state election announcement.

Reserve Bank of Australia board member Heather Ridout says a federal government plan to fund a work-boosting program for manufacturers by scrapping business tax concessions could hurt foreign inves

The Reserve Bank of Australia is waiting to see how recent interest rate cuts flow through the economy before deciding if it needs to cut the cash rate further in 2013.

The Australian Greens will push for another inquiry into the mining tax to try to work out why the big resource giants aren't paying as much as expected.

Mark McGowan has committed to expand Henderson’s Australian Marine Complex into one of the nation’s largest technology parks if Labor is successful in next month’s state election.

Western Australia's financial ratings outlook remains negative, because of the boom state's mounting debt, as it spends big on infrastructure for a growing population and resources sector.