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At last, after months of chewing it over, the state government has announced a plan to divest Western Power.

Western Australian women have gone backwards in terms of the gender pay gap, with full-time workers earning on average 30.9 per cent - or $43,000 a year - less than men.

The federal government’s plan for a 15 per cent rate backpacker tax has been knocked down in the Senate, with the state’s farming body left furious and desperate for a solution.

Unions have been put on notice with the revival of the Australian Building and Construction Commission, as the building sector celebrates the what it says is the return of law to the industry.

Steep falls across the mining and energy sectors have driven the Australian share market lower.

Medibank boss Craig Drummond has committed to halting the decline in the private health insurer's market share by overhauling its approach to customers.

Privately held tantalum miner Global Advanced Metals has reported a $6.3 million net profit for the year to June 2016, up from a $72.2 million loss in the previous 12 months, while its two Western Australian mine sites remained under care and maintenance.

Seventeen Perth-based startup organisations have been selected to participate in the KPMG Energise and OzAPP Awards accelerator programs to help grow their businesses.

A new gloomy forecast has emerged for Perth house prices, with global economic research firm Moody’s predicting further declines in 2017.

Colin Barnett says he would like to see penalty rates cut for casual small business employees on Sundays and public holidays, but lift the base rate for standard hours.

The Barnett government is hoping to raise $3 billion by selling 51 per cent of Western Power to Australian investors, and will also use the privatisation deal to remove about $8 billion of debt off the state’s books.

The Australian share market has kicked off the trading session lower, due to renewed pressure on resource and energy companies, including Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Woodside Petroleum.

Oil has slumped four per cent as OPEC's leading oil exporters struggle to agree on a deal to cut production to reduce global oversupply and boost prices, with Iran and Iraq at loggerheads with Saudi Arabia a day ahead of meeting.

Gold prices have fallen due to expectations of rising US interest rates and improving sentiment for global economic growth, which mean investors are likely to favour risk assets such as equities.

The Australian dollar is marginally higher against its US counterpart after gains in the greenback fizzled out following strong third quarter US economic growth data.

AAA loss to ‘ricochet through the economy’Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen will today outline the bleak scenario facing the nation’s banks and heavily indebted households if t

Fortescue Metals Group has recognised the family of chairman Andrew Forrest by naming four new very large ore carrier (VLOC) vessels after his wife and children.

DigitalX has re-energised its board with the appointment of a Perth-based CEO as the software company seeks to move forward from revelations earlier this year that its founder is facing charges in the US for fraud.

Falls in resource, energy and telecom companies, including Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Vocus Communications have dragged the Australian share market lower.

Former MZI Resources managing director Trevor Matthews has been named chief executive of local graphite hopeful Volt Resources.

Shareholders in agribusiness Wellard have strongly rejected four resolutions at the company's annual meeting, though their anger over the company's poor performance was not enough for the nominee of a dissident shareholder to get elected to the board.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac and National Australia Bank have seemingly failed to secure permission to collectively bargain with Apple for iPhone users to make mobile payments from their own digital wallets, rather than Apple Pay.

Western Areas has locked in its second nickel offtake agreement in as many days, announcing today a deal with BHP Billiton subsidiary Nickel West for product from its Forrestania nickel mine.

Perth-based oil and gas explorer TTE Petroleum has recruited former Liquefied Natural Gas boss Maurice Brand as part of a board restructure that includes the resignation of current chair Darren Levy and the movement of chief executive Paul Garner to a non-executive role.

Vocus Communications shares have plunged more than 20 per cent after Australia's fourth biggest telecommunications group delivered a grim trading update following its rapid expansion.

For evidence that success can sometimes damage a business we need look no further than the political games playing out ahead of next year’s state election, with the very real chance Western Australia’s biggest iron ore miners will be hit by a $5 per tonne penalty tax because they’re too successful.

The state government has allocated $2 million for a new co-working space in Karratha to promote small business and startups in the area.

Aspiring miner Dacian Gold has launched a $150 million capital raising to fund a big portion of the development costs for its Mt Morgans gold project near Laverton, which is expected to begin operating by 2018.

Mineral sands miner Iluka Resources has cast doubt on its planned $375 million takeover of Sierra Rutile after detecting geotechnical risks at the West African company's tailings dams.

The Australian share market is trading barely changed in early trade as overnight declines on Wall Street and caution ahead of key risk events weigh on investors' minds.

The Australian dollar is flat against its US counterpart, as the greenback has eased amid a quiet north America session.

Gold prices are more than one per cent higher recovering from their lowest levels since February as the US dollar and long-dated US Treasury bond yields retreat from recent highs.