Government

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is confident her government will deliver a $1.5 billion budget surplus in 2012/13 as forecast in May.

Western Australia remains by far the nation's strongest state on most economic valuations, and even its weakest parts outstrip many other jurisdictions, CommSec says.

The surge in the number of people accessing the state government's Hardship Utilities Grants Scheme could be just the tip of the iceberg, the opposition says.

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan concedes falling iron ore prices could hit the revenue raised through the mineral resources rent tax (MRRT).

Australian business conditions weakened in the three months to June, according to a private survey.

Treasurer Wayne Swan is tipped to lose his job in the first betting market for key seats in the 2013 federal election.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has highlighted the potential for the Kimberley region to become the food bowl of Asia on the final leg of a three-day media blitz in the state.

Australian economic conditions are at their strongest in 10 months and are expected to improve as the central bank further stimulates the economy.

More Aussie workers say they feel dissatisfied with their jobs and are less trusting of their employers than during the global financial crisis.

When the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia met on July 3, its members saw no case to cut the cash rate again and gave no hint that a cut was in the pipeline.

The carbon tax is not popular but Australians are warming to it, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

Treasurer Wayne Swan has thrown his support behind Prime Minister Julia Gillard amid renewed leadership speculation.

Treasurer Wayne Swan says the latest assessment by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows how strong Australia's economic fundamentals are compared with the rest of the advanced world.

Western Australia’s mining towns have dominated a list of the richest localities in Australia, ranked by personal and household income.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has accused Premier Colin Barnett of trying to fool the public about the impact of the carbon tax.

Australia blew the last mining boom and can no longer rely on high commodities prices, federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson says, as China's economy continues to slow.

China's latest economic data should be welcomed by Australian businesses, as the Asian giant appears to have reined in growth to a more sustainable pace.

Former Liberal MP Bernie Masters says he will run against Treasurer Troy Buswell in the March state election because past indiscretions make him unfit to sit in parliament.

The federal government insists the GST does not apply to its carbon tax, warning action would be taken against businesses that claimed otherwise.

Payment fraudsters raked in an extra $77.5 million in 2011, despite the financial industry's success in combating cheque and debit card rip-offs.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has dismissed Labor claims a future coalition government would slash the wages and entitlements of workers.

The consumer watchdog has received more than 600 complaints or inquiries about the carbon tax's impact on prices.

The state government has again defended its $440 million waterfront project, this time against its own modelling, which shows it will slow Perth traffic significantly.

Recent interest rate cuts have boosted consumer sentiment but pessimism about the state of the economy remains.

The state Labor Party has ruled out forming a coalition with the Australian Greens even if there is a hung parliament.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has defended her record on improving productivity, after a respected business leader slammed the "sloganeering" of modern political and economic debate.

Federal Finance Minister Penny Wong is at odds with a senior Treasury official over government support for ailing businesses.

The Labor Party has kicked a "superbly poorly timed own goal" with attacks by some of its members on the Greens, the minority party's Senator Scott Ludlam says.

 Deputy opposition leader Julie Bishop has stepped up the attack on the Australian Greens, saying the minority party lives "in a parallel universe".

Economists are expecting Australia's unemployment rate to have risen slightly in June, while total employment growth remained flat, as the strong jobs growth of previous months grinds to a halt.

Treasurer Troy Buswell says he has a tough task in convincing the GST review panel to hand the state a greater share.

Australia should encourage more Chinese investment in domestic industries and reap the benefits of its immense capital reserves, a top foreign affairs bureaucrat says.