Government

Australia has chalked up an unprecedented 21 years of continuous economic expansion, but the central bank may have to step in before the end of the year if the buoyancy is to continue.

Australia's enviable run of solid economic growth is expected to have continued in the three months to June.

The state government has a $7.5 billion black hole in pre-election commitments that it will find harder to plug because of falling iron ore royalties, the Labor opposition says.

The Business Council of Australia has backed calls by coalition-led state governments for GST revenues to be distributed by the commonwealth according to population.

Western Australia won't hand control of its education system to Canberra and won't be dictated to by the prime minister, Premier Colin Barnett says.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has urged the mining industry to recruit Australians willing to work on projects rather than bring in temporary skilled migrants.

A fall in company profits for the past three quarters points to a broad-based slowing of the economy in the months ahead.

The corruption trial of former Western Australian premier Brian Burke has been put on hold pending discussions between defence lawyers and the prosecution.

Job advertisements have fallen for the fifth consecutive month, marking the weakest trend since late 2011.

The state's peak business body has tipped the state's two-speed economy to become more pronounced, with conditions outside of the resources sector to get more challenging as business investmen

A private measure of inflation has posted its largest monthly increase in almost 18 months but very little is from the carbon tax.

The demand for skilled workers has risen to its highest level in 12 months, but poor consumer and business confidence was slowing the recovery, research shows.

Profit season 2012 was a bit like many State of Origin rugby league matches - tough, bruising and a couple of big hits - but not as bloody as predicted in the pre-game hype.

Carbon offset company Carbon Conscious says the loss of its biggest contract with Origin Energy and the government's scrapping of the carbon floor price will not be a huge blow to its finances this

The mining sector may have lost some of its sparkle, but Australia's economy is still the envy of the developed world.

Finance Minister Penny Wong has painted a rosy picture of Australia's economy during a visit to the US, as the Labor government awaits a crucial domestic growth report.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd believes federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott "doesn't get" Africa but says his deputy, Julie Bishop, does.

The federal government is calling for an investigation into whether Opposition Leader Tony Abbott misled parliament when he claimed to have read BHP Billiton statements about the scrapping of the O

Australia's mining boom is not over yet, with newly released capital expenditure figures showing there is a lot more investment to come.

Treasurer Wayne Swan has slammed mining magnate Gina Rinehart for insulting Australian workers after she called for a cut to the minimum wage and accused people of being jealous of the wealthy.

Federal Labor's promise to deliver a budget surplus in 2012/13 has again come under fire after it announced plans to spend $4 billion on dental health care reforms.

Company profits are down but still not the horror story expected due to a spate of under-promising and over-delivering in the profit-reporting season.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says he's comfortable sharing a conference stage with a Congolese minister who has been probed by French authorities for alleged human rights abuses.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the federal government is "wrong-headed" to link its emissions trading scheme (ETS) to Europe's carbon market.

The federal government's dumping of the carbon floor price is a cruel hoax for consumers, the opposition says.

Treasurer Wayne Swan insists the Labor government will return the budget to surplus next year despite falling commodity prices.

Figures this week will shed some light on a much talked about question - the timing of the peak in the resources investment boom.

The 15 per cent domestic gas reservation policy remains a point of contention among Western Australian businesses, with local industrial users claiming a small but significant victory from the late

The state government must quickly tell runners injured in the 2011 Kimberley Ultramarathon if they will receive ex-gratia payments, the opposition says.

The federal government say Australia's price of carbon from 2015 will be linked to the European Union emissions trading scheme (ETS).

The number of apprentices completing their trades training in Australia is a national disgrace, Federal Skills Minister Chris Evans says.

Environment Minister Bill Marmion has and allocated $17.2 million to the Waste Authority for the first year of a proposal designed to improve recycling rates.