By Aaditya GovindRao Dec 4 (Reuters) - Australian shares ended higher on Monday, driven by commodity and financial stocks on expectations that the local central bank might hold rates at its policy meeting on Tuesday, while Origin Energy fell after investors voted down the Brookfield-led consortium's takeover bid. Soft inflation and retail sales data last week helped alleviate rate hike fears among traders. Bucking the trend, energy stocks .AXEJ fell 1.3% as scepticism over voluntary output cuts from OPEC+ and global fuel demand growth clouded the sector's outlook.