Maintaining Australia's hardline immigration and border policies cost taxpayers more than $4 billion last financial year, including nearly $1.6 billion on compliance and detention.

Health Minister Greg Hunt is "actually doing nothing. There is no way Australian producers under Australian rules will be competitive with Americans or Canadians."

In addition to an "outstanding legal career" the new head of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner Stephen McBurney was one of the AFL's "most experienced and highly regarded umpires", Craig Laundy says.

Uber drivers are contractors not employees, according to the Fair Work Commission.

The Australian sharemarket finished the first week of 2018 at a decade-high 6122.30 points, buoyed by fresh records on Wall Street where the Dow Jones surpassed 25,000 points for the first time.