Prime Minister Julia Gillard is wary of an economy where the only signs of strength are in the mining sector, after hundreds of jobs were slashed in the banking and manufacturing sectors.
The effectiveness of the Council of Australian Governments will be put to the test over this year as it tries to drive reforms to make the national economy more seamless.
The mining boom has helped Australia post its second highest level of monthly exports despite an economic slowdown in Asia, economists say.
Exports rose two per cent to $27.792 billion, seasonally adjusted, in December, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported on Thursday.
Prosecutions have been dropped against former Premier Brian Burke, lobbyist Julian Grill and former ministerial staffer Nathan Hondros, due to a lack of public interest.
Federal opposition frontbenchers have defended Tony Abbott's outlook for tax cuts under a coalition government, ahead of a keynote speech by the prime minister on the economy.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has reaffirmed without qualification that the federal government will deliver a budget surplus.
In a speech to be to be delivered to the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Ms Gillard will outline the major milestones in industry assistance in 2012.
An independent inquiry is the only way to find out if other senior media advisers to Premier Colin Barnett were involved in leaking false information to the media about new Labor Leader Mark McGowan, the opposition says.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard should stop interfering in the mining industry and Western Australia, and focus on manufacturing job losses elsewhere, Premier Colin Barnett says.
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