Funding cuts to the state Department of Corrective Services will put the community further at risk because prisons are already overcrowded, the Prison Officers' Union says.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the government remains determined to deliver a surplus and has rejected comments from former Commonwealth Bank head Ralph Norris that such a goal is "mindless".
Western Australia should get its full share of the infrastructure funding due to come out of the federal government's mining tax revenue, state Opposition Leader Mark McGowan says.
A leading business group has urged the Australian Greens to take a more centrist line when it comes to industrial relations and set aside their "anti-market platform".
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says another downgrade of Australia's economic growth rate by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows the local economy is "underperforming".
Fortescue Metals Group founder Andrew Forrest says the government needs to build a deeper relationship with China otherwise Australia risks losing opportunities with the Asian superpower.
State government agencies and trading enterprises will be required to cut spending and freeze their staff numbers after the state blamed cuts in GST grants for a tough budget outlook.
If Premier Colin Barnett joins a High Court challenge to the mining tax when he doubts it will succeed then it shouldn't be funded by taxpayers, the state opposition says.
Federal Senate Leader Chris Evans says Western Australia should contribute its fair share of GST revenue and make up for its past reliance on other states.
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has released a proposal for how business losses should be treated for tax purposes which he says will help struggling firms cope with the patchwork economy.
All states and territories have signed on to the federal government's skills package in a deal which is worth $1.75 billion to them in incentive payments.
Premier Colin Barnett has conceded new Labor Opposition Leader Mark McGowan has received a bigger lift in the polls than he anticipated, predicting a tight election next year.
State opposition leader Mark McGowan has claimed Royalties for Regions funds are being pork-barrelled into National Party electorates and the regions that need it most are missing out, following th
Business confidence has improved but still remains below its long-term average because of concerns about a more pronounced slowing among emerging economies.
Premier Colin Barnett has fired a shot across Canberra's bow ahead of the Council of Australian Governments meeting, saying the balance of power now lies with the states.
The Western Australian branch of the Health Services Union says it may break away from the national body because of the damage being done to the brand by ongoing controversies.
Job advertisements rose for a third consecutive month, in a sign that hiring intentions by businesses are continuing to improve, a private survey shows.
Company collapses spiked 114 per cent in February in Western Australia, sparking fears the mining sector is sucking life out of non-resource related business.
Australia should focus on becoming a high-wage, high-productivity country or risk falling further behind the rest of the world, Business Council of Australia president Tony Shepherd says.
Western Australia may as well leave its minerals in the ground while its GST revenue continues to be stolen by Canberra and the eastern states, Premier Colin Barnett says.
The federal government must name the top 500 companies set to pay a price on carbon to dispel confusion among businesses and the public, the opposition says.
