Treasurer Joe Hockey has warned no individual or business will escape the pain of the government's first budget, as both major parties blitzed Western Australia ahead of Saturday's Senate election re-run.
Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has struck an historic deal with his state and territory counterparts that could see billions of dollars of new infrastructure built across the nation.
Business confidence remains weak but more Western Australian companies are looking to lift spending and expand their operations, a new survey has revealed.
The Abbott government has moved to repeal legislation that would effectively extend Australia's migration zone to ensure workers on offshore oil and gas projects obtain visas.
Migration to Western Australia has fallen by more than 40 per cent in less than two years, with a slowdown in the resources sector driving a big fall in the number of workers moving west.
The Abbott government has complained that a Senate inquiry into the national broadband network was stacked in favour of their opponents and didn't reflect the evidence heard.
Burswood residents who objected to Crown Resorts' planned new hotel have failed in their attempt to overturn the state government's special approval process.
The Abbott government will need to bide its time until the new Senate arrives in July before having any real chance at abolishing the mining tax, after Labor and the Greens blocked the government's repeal efforts.
Clean energy, aged care and disaster management are among the sectors highlighted as potential growth areas in the Western Australian economy in a new report by Deloitte.
The state and federal governments have committed $62 million towards widening a section of the Kwinana Freeway in a bid to reduce congestion on the major road.
The federal government will try to pressure Labor over the repeal of the mining tax next week as the re-run of the Western Australian Senate election looms.
Prominent Perth company director Tracey Horton is among a group of business leaders appointed to a new federal Treasury advisory council designed to replicate the discipline provided by a private sector governance board.
An independent think-tank says Western Australia should follow the lead of the Newman government in Queensland and implement major spending cuts after recording the largest increase in operating expenditure of all states over the last three years.
The Abbott government has failed in its first bid to scrap the carbon tax, with the Senate refusing to pass a package of bills to repeal the Gillard-era climate change policy.
Tony Abbott's embattled assistant treasurer Arthur Sinodinos has stood aside after being dragged into a corruption inquiry, with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann assuming his responsibilities.
Former Treasurer Troy Buswell is unlikely to return to parliament until at least April 10 but it remains to be seen whether he intends to remain an MP.
Labor senators look set to ignore a plea from business groups to ditch the mining tax after opposition leader Bill Shorten reaffirmed his commitment to vote down the government's repeal legislation.
Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief executive Deidre Willmott has urged the Abbott government to go harder on its proposed industrial relations reforms, arguing more needs to be done to tackle union militancy.
Three business lobby groups with large representation in Western Australia have presented a united front to urge the Senate to repeal both the mining and carbon taxes.
Australian households are each more than $13,000 better off thanks to trade with China, the country's ambassador to Australia told a business lunch in Perth today.
