News Articles for Rick Newnham

Our weekly appointment wrap includes Rick Newnham, Brendan Acott, Tyron Hayes, Danny Murphy, Cameron Syme, Kristy Ryan, Paul Martin, Kenn Donohoe, Helen Sarcich, Nick Houldsworth, Matthew Read, Gary Thomas, Lucy Mengler, Rachel Horton, Richard Lilly, Lauren Haygarth, Donna Marsh, Peta Rapson, Stephanie Driscoll, Maree Ferguson, Susan Oldmeadow-Hall, Danny Olsen, Mark Giuffre, Timothy John, Melissa Reid, Jackson Wheeler, Daniel Butler, Tamara Arapovic, Garry Zacher, and Tamica D'Uva.

Business peak groups have slammed newly minted opposition leader Liza Harvey's policy shifts on public sector wages, privatising Western Power, and retail trading hours.

Western Australia's unemployment rate has increased by 0.1 per cent taking it to 6 per cent in March, making it 1 per cent higher than the national average of 5 per cent.

The unemployment rate in Western Australia fell by 1 per cent in February, as 11,000 people stopped looking for work.

Western Australia has regained the mantle of the highest unemployment in the country, after a 0.8 per cent uptick in the jobless rate in November.

Western Australia's jobless rate has fallen to 5.7 per cent in October, while the national figure remains at a six-year low.

The state government has confirmed it will use an estimated $1.7 billion GST windfall to pay down its debts, after the legislation cleared federal parliament today.

Full-time employment in Western Australia has hit a three-year high, as the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed a decline in the state's jobless rate to 6 per cent in September.

The prospects of a GST overhaul have been given a boost today, after the federal government said the proposed legislation would include safeguards to ensure every jurisdiction will be in a better financial position over a set period.

Job vacancies in Western Australia have reached their highest level in more than five years, while the state's mining industry has hit a record level of employment.

Grants from the federal government and delayed dividend payments from state-owned enterprises have helped the state government report an operating deficit 73 per cent below forecast in the 2018 financial year, while the non-trade economy has grown after a sustained period of shrinking.

The planned overhaul of the GST distribution system may not be perfect, but it's a pragmatic and creative response all states and territories should be able to accept, Western Australian Treasurer Ben Wyatt said today.

Western Australia's unemployment rate has hit its highest level in more than 16 years, despite the state's economy adding jobs in March, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten today pledged $241 million to extend the Armadale suburban rail line to Byford, bringing federal Labor's infrastructure commitments in the state to $1.2 billion.

The state government's parlous budget position received a small boost today, with Western Australia in line to receive $225 million more in GST revenue next financial year than had previously been estimated.

The state government has revised its budget deficit for the current financial year to a record $2.6 billion but insists the budget outlook has improved while also confirming it has added Landgate to its list of potential asset sales.

Byrnecut executive chairman Steve Coughlan has slammed the state government's decision to crack down on payroll tax exemptions, saying his company will no longer receive the exemption for courses being undertaken by 1,200 employees.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA has criticised the state government's crackdown on payroll tax exemption for employees earning more than $100,000 announced today.

Mining magnate Andrew Forrest has made an emotional plea for gambling revenue to be factored into the GST distribution system, while Western Australians have been warned the state's share of the revenue could potentially fall to zero if the economy were to return to boom times.

About 1,300 jobs will be lost because of the state government's proposed increases to payroll tax, according to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA.

Gold miners have warned of devastating consequences from a higher royalty rate, including potential mine closures, while business groups have also taken aim at proposed payroll tax hikes for larger employers, after both were targeted in a $1 billion revenue grab by the state government in today's budget.

There are signs of recovery in the local economy, with employment and sales activity numbers showing improved performance in June and a major report predicting further recovery next year.

About 18,000 local businesses and key leaders have backed the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA's GST reform submissions, which were put forward to the Productivity Commission today.

ANALYSIS: Full marks to the Labor Party for coming up with its debt reduction strategy early in the election campaign. It indicates both the party and shadow treasurer Ben Wyatt are serious about getting the state's finances into a much healthier position.

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