Government

The Abbott government has failed to win Senate approval for legislation lifting the commonwealth debt ceiling to $500 billion.

Kevin Rudd has announced he is quitting parliament.He said there came a time in every politician's life when families said "enough is enough".

Persistence is starting to pay off on the government’s quest for local council reform.

Treasurer Joe Hockey has introduced legislation to repeal Labor's mining tax and related measures that were supposed to be funded by the impost.

Seven West Media chief executive Tim Worner is hopeful of improved market conditions in December but says the broader ad market remains short and unpredictable.

Another former high-profile politician has found employment in the business world.

It might be playing with fire to own a pair of asbestos gloves these days, but Colin Barnett should borrow a pair before finalising a red-hot deal to sell the Kwinana Bulk Terminal to building mate

The state government has finalised its preferred model for local council reform, putting forward new boundaries that would cut the number of metropolitan councils by half to 15 - one more than under proposals released in July.

The WA economy is on track for a solid end to the year, according to the latest Westpac CCI Leading Index of WA Economic Activity.

Seven Group says it will cut 630 positions across its Westrac business in a divisional restructure.

The Greens are demanding an explanation from Clive Palmer about an apparent alliance with the Australian Sports Party's senator-elect Wayne Dropulich.

Former federal police commissioner Mick Keelty is already convinced the missing votes in the Western Australian Senate election materially affected the result, but says it's unlikely their disappearance was caused by corruption.

Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett says the rocky start to his second term is behind him.

Premier Colin Barnett has defended the government's plans to sell the Kwinana Bulk Terminal to Len Buckeridge in the hopes of bringing to an end the BGC chairman's $1 billion lawsuit against the state.

A motion suggesting Prime Minister Tony Abbott scrap laws requiring balanced reporting by Australian media will be among those debated by the Western Australian branch of the Liberal Party at its state conference.

Labor will seek to block government plans to scrap a superannuation contribution scheme designed to benefit low-income earners.

Western Australia's unemployment rate has fallen to just 4.3 per cent, with the jobless rate remaining steady at a national level.

Australia's competition watchdog has recommended reforms to ensure ongoing business growth at the nation's major ports.

Education ministers from states yet to sign up to the Gonski school funding overhaul are meeting with federal minister Christopher Pyne to discuss the matter.

Tighter federal and state budgets are going to make economic reform harder in the future, a report says.

A fourth consecutive month of growth in the market capitalisation of Western Australia's top 100 listed companies is a sign of renewed business confidence within the WA economy, according to market analysts.

Former federal police chief Mick Keelty has begun his investigation into 1,375 missing votes from the Western Australian Senate ballot.

The ethical bar for ministers may now be set too high, Premier Colin Barnett says, after treasurer Troy Buswell came under pressure for helping to get his son an appointment for a driving test.

Australia's jobless rate is expected to drift higher, despite the recent pickup in economic data and improvement in consumer and business confidence.

The state government has proposed folding in the entire City of Vincent to a bigger City of Perth but Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi says the move is a "cop out" driven by populist politics.

Treasurer Troy Buswell has been accused of abusing his power by intervening to get his son an appointment for a driving test.

Retail spending continues to improve, driven by department store sales, reflecting the bounce in consumer confidence since the September federal election.

Labor must expand or die, according to Western Australian leader Mark McGowan, who has revealed plans for local party branches to hold meetings online.

The controversial results of Western Australia's senate recount have been formally declared ahead of a likely High Court challenge.

The Abbott government may be on the right track with plans to axe the carbon and mining taxes, but after that it’s anyone’s guess.

Consumers could be faced with higher prices in coming months due to an acceleration in business energy costs.

Clive Palmer says a discrepancy in the numbers across three vote recounts in the seat of Fairfax proves officials have been counting votes incorrectly, while the Liberal National Party is yet to rule out challenging his narrow win.