Government

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.

The City of Perth council has voted unanimously in favour of making the city's three major pedestrian areas smoke-free.

Demand for credit is on the rise for the first time in a year but it's too early to talk of a turnaround in consumer spending.

Any moves away from live animal exports and towards more meat processing in Western Australia will be well planned and in consultation with the industry, Opposition Leader Mark McGow

The state opposition says its ambitious Metronet rail plan would cost about $3.8 billion, about half the amount estimated by the state government.

A survey that shows businesses have estimated a 14.5 per cent jump in energy costs due to the carbon tax underlines why the impost must be scrapped, Tony Abbott says.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has called on the federal government to publish its latest budget position numbers so the coalition can work out its surplus prospects.

Australians appear to be swapping credit for savings, with a recent study showing intention for taking on debt at a three-year low.

Australian business confidence rebounded in December following an interest rate cut and positive developments in the US and China.

Australia's mining construction boom is expected to peak in late 2013 and government spending cuts are making it harder to find a new driver of economic growth, economics advisory group Deloitte Ac

One day after being heckled by environmental protesters in Broome, premier Colin Barnett has announced plans to make the world-renowned Horizontal Falls in the Kimberley part of a new national park

West Australian Labor leader Mark McGowan has officially launched his party's state election campaign, declaring it a "referendum on priorities" and claiming he was more in touch with the community

The nation's peak industry group has applauded the federal government's reinstatement of incentive payments for employers taking on first-year apprentices to engineering trades.

When people crack open a tinny on Australia Day, it could be a rosy economy that they're toasting.

Treasurer Wayne Swan says the federal government is giving infrastructure financing "serious consideration" as a Labor appointee to the Reserve Bank board calls for budget deficits to fund new road

The state government will seek proposals from industry for the design and construction of a new underground bus station to replace the Wellington Street Bus Station, which will be sunk as part of t

Businesses' enthusiasm to invest has sunk to its lowest level in at least 15 years against the back drop of a high Australian dollar and soft growth in non-mining sectors of the economy.

European share prices have risen, with London hitting a near five-year high in light trading amid a public holiday in the United States, although the luxury goods sector was tarnished by a gl

The Australian dollar is slightly higher ahead of news from a meeting of Japan's central bank.

Economists believe consumer prices rose modestly in the December quarter, but not slowly enough to lock in another interest rate cut for Australian homeowners.