Government

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.

 Treasurer Wayne Swan will travel to Hong Kong for currency talks with Chinese authorities.

 Job advertisements have fallen for the third straight month, led by declines in Victoria and the mining boom states of Western Australia and Queensland.

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan says he is confident the federal government's mining tax will withstand a High Court challenge.

 The state government plans to repeal 40-year-old legislation that deals with the estates of Aboriginal people in a discriminatory way.

Australia trade balance remained in deficit in May but is expected to return to surplus as exports pick up over the coming months.

Bakery chain Brumby's could be fined if found to have incorrectly linked upcoming price rises to the carbon tax, the federal government says.

Pricing carbon may actually stop the transition to cleaner energy, Premier Colin Barnett says.

A single-issue party is poised to enter Western Australia's political scene.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he would call a double-dissolution election if Labor senators block his attempts to dump the carbon tax.

Treasurer Wayne Swan says the eurozone's latest jobless figures highlight the deep-seated challenges facing the region, despite some progress in resolving its debt crisis.

Younger Australians are more upbeat about the future than baby boomers while Labor voters are Australia's political pollyannas, a new poll has found.

A leading business lobby group has dismissed as a marketing exercise, a statement signed by hundreds of businesses backing the federal government's carbon tax.

Australia's rate of inflation has fallen to its lowest level since the global financial crisis, a survey shows, giving the central bank room to cut interest rates further.

Australia's central bank cut interest rates in May and June, but is not expected to make it three in a row when its board meets tomorrow.

Premier Colin Barnett says it's not too late for the federal government to halve its carbon price "to something around $10 a tonne", even though he does not believe it will reduce greenhouse gases.

Outgoing police minister Rob Johnson says he doesn't know why he was axed ahead of next year's election and is disappointed by Premier Colin Barnett's cabinet shake-up.

Economists doubt that the central bank will cut interest rates for a third month in a row when its board meets next week, despite further signs of weakness in demand for workers and new houses.

Like it or loathe it, the carbon tax is here.Climate Change Minister Greg Combet insists it won't lead to businesses going broke and power bills forcing families to the wall.

Despite some data showing the economy is growing strongly, it may not be growing strongly enough to match the growth in the number of people wanting jobs.

Retailers say they are nervous about becoming the "meat in the sandwich" when the carbon tax is introduced.

Three new ministers have been elevated to state Cabinet and two have been demoted after Premier Colin Barnett took the opportunity, forced on him by Christian Porter's shock decision to step down,