Government

Australian small businesses face tough conditions and finished 2012 on a pessimistic note despite a series of interest rate cuts.

Union boss Paul Howes says Australia does not have a carbon tax - it has a fixed price on carbon.

 The number of bureaucrats in Australia has dropped for the first time in more than a decade, a new analysis of jobs data shows.

One of the problems with labour productivity is that a fair proportion of the population just doesn't seem to understand what it is.

West Australian Labor has shifted its election campaign focus to the state's urban planning system, promising to ease bottlenecks and advance progress at stalled local developments.

Australia's peak industry lobby group says more than one third of businesses plan to cut jobs in 2013.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has laid out the coalition's broad economic strategy, saying his government would inject an "instantaneous adrenalin charge" into the economy through scrapping taxes a

Australia's population is set to hit 23 million by early May.

Shadow assistant treasurer Mathias Cormann says the prime minister and treasurer agreed to the mining tax without understanding its finer detail.

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan is urging the Group of 20 major economies to close tax loopholes that allow profitable multinational companies to exploit differences in taxation regimes to avoid tax.

Labor's $3.4 billion Metronet rail project will be funded by relocating Perth's major stadium to Subiaco and scrapping state government funding earmarked for the mothballed Oakajee port projec

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says banks shouldn't be penalised for their enormous profits by paying more tax.

Treasurer Wayne Swan says speculation the government may put up income tax is "ridiculous and absurd".

The federal government says tighter tax avoidance laws impacting multinational companies will protect more than $1 billion in revenue each year.

The mining industry has urged state and federal governments to tread with caution over implementing recommendations from a parliamentary inquiry into fly-in, fly-out work practices, saying some of

The war of words over the cost of the state opposition’s Metronet heavy rail plan has continued, with Transport Minister Troy Buswell claiming Labor has failed to account for “at least” $1 billion

Consumer sentiment has surged to its highest level in more than two years, fuelled by low interest rates and improving property and share markets.

A Labor MP insists there is no chance a revived mining industry campaign about the resources rent tax could claim another prime minister's scalp.

Labor leader Mark McGowan has backed gay marriage and euthanasia during an online question and answer session.

The federal government has no plans to change the design of its mining tax, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

Premier Colin Barnett has revived plans for a university in Midland at the historic Railway Workshops if the Liberals win the March 9 state election.

The central bank will have to cut the cash rate again at some stage given the chronic low levels of business and consumer confidence, a leading business group says.

 Independent MP Rob Oakeshott feels the Gillard government partly duped him about the design of its mining tax.

The Liberal party's highly anticipated light rail plan will cost $1.8 billion and move 25,000 commuters a day.

Tax concessions within Australia's superannuation system are not as generous as those in other countries.

Opposition to the carbon tax by Western Australia's Labor leader Mark McGowan has been ridiculed by the state's Liberals as electioneering by a "fence sitter".

 The federal opposition says the Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Treasurer Wayne Swan are to blame for a substantial shortfall in mining tax revenue.

Australians are struggling to put money aside, while households are feeling less comfortable after having spent their carbon tax compensation allowances, a survey has found.

Premier Colin Barnett has raised the stakes in the popularity contest in the run up to the March 9th state election by announcing plans to loosen up liquor laws.

The WA Liberal Party says building economic and cultural ties with Asia and Africa will be priorities if it is re-elected in the March state election, while the opposition has pledged to focus on b