The data is in. Australia’s economy is approaching stall speed. 

Over the first few months of this year, the economy grew by just 0.2 per cent, the slowest rate of growth we’ve seen since the Covid lockdowns. 

This depressing picture - courtesy of the national accounts figures out Wednesday - came right after the most recent Reserve Bank decision, to raise interest rates again, this time to 4.1 per cent.   

It’s the 12th increase the Reserve Bank has announced in 13 months. 

The worsening state of the economy is hurting households and ordinary Australians - with mortgages becoming harder to pay off, and cost of living pressures biting. 

So just how bad a state is the economy in? Are we hurtling towards a recession? And who - or what exactly - is to blame? 

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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