GOLDEN BISON -
No interest rise for the 23rd consecutive month. Last rise was Nov 2010 Vs 10 consecutive rises under Howard/Costello. RBA Official Interest Cash Rate - 3.25% - compared to 6.75% when Howard was voted out & lowest under Howard was 4.25%. The last time the Coalition Govt presided over a cash rate this low was Feb 1964
Australians are the wealthiest in world: study - The median wealth of Australians continues to be the highest in the world despite a drop in number of millionaires. Australia beat Japan, Italy, Belgium and the UK in terms of median wealth, with each adult sitting on a nest egg of almost $200,000, the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report 2012 shows. "Notably, Australia's median wealth per adult of $US194,000 ($A190,982) is the highest in the world, well ahead of Switzerland $US87,137 ($A85,781) and Norway $US79,376 ($A78,141)," the report said.
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Wow..........
1. Unemployment 5.1% - (Canada 7.5, EUROZONE Avg 9.3, UK 8.7, USA 8.3, Japan 4.1, NZ 6.6, China 4.1, India 9.4, Brazil 4.7. South Africa 25%, Singapore 1.9, South Korea 3.7)
2. CPI - 2.15% well below expectation, a 12 year low. 2.15%.
3. GDP Growth 4.3% - The Australian economy is now around 7 per cent larger than it was prior to GFC Mark 1. By way of comparison, most developed countries have gone backward.
4. RBA Official Interest Cash Rate - 3.5% - compared to 6.75% when Howard was voted out. Lowest RBA Interest Rate was Apr 2009 at 3% post 2008 GFC.
5. Current Govt Net Debt - 8.9%
6. Total Public Debt - 27% GDP (Canada 81%, EURO 97%, France 99%, Germany 84%, Japan 205%, UK 91%, USA 95%)
7. Trade Surplus $22.4 billion last financial year – easily the biggest surplus in raw terms for the past 40 years of records compiled by the ABS
8. Sovereign Rating - Australia one of just 15 countries to hold the top AAA Rating from all Agencies
9. Currency - AUD/USD 1.04, AUD/UK 0.68 AUD/Euro 0.82 - The floating of AUD is the single most important economic reform introduced by Labor. It acts as a shock absorber to external economic conditions
10. Australia is in Asia, the growth engine averaging 6% and part of the Asian Century. It's middle and aspiration class is expected to hit 800 millions by 2020. Double of USA+Europe.
11. NBN - One of the most advanced high speed Internet enabled network in the world. Australia's first national wide, open access FTTP broadband network with minimum 93% coverage, capable of achieving 1 gigabit per second broadband speeds.
12. Australia is the richest country in the world according to Credit Suisse Research Institute's most recent Global Wealth Report, the median wealth of Australians now is well over $200,000, ahead of Switzerland, 4 times USA.
13. Under Coalition spending grew by average of 3.7% per annum, under the current Labor spending growth is averaging 1.5%
14. More people at work today than any time in our Nation's history. In Jan 2012, 46,300 new jobs created for the month of which 12,300 full-time jobs and the Unemployment rate is now 5.1% from previous 5.2%
15. Australia net debt is expected to peak only at 8.9% in 2016 (MYEFO) - READ MORE
16. THE Gillard government's reforms to financial advice will boost the retirement savings of Australian workers by $130 billion over 15 years
17. Retail turnover up 0.3% in January. (0.1% fall in December.) from ABS
18. Our economy is up by 7.4 per cent on pre-GFC levels. Canada +3.5% USA & Germany +1%, UK -2.75%, Japan -3% Italy - 4.5% READ MORE
19. Australia's GDP in 2011 was $1.444 trillion. Will be above $1.5 trillion next year
20. Since 2007 the ratio of net debt to GDP of the leading western economies has grown from 52% to 82%”(a swing of 30%). In Australia, minus 3.8% to 8.9%(a swing of 13%)
21. The 10 year government bond yield is now around 4.0% having recent hit an all time low of 3.65% - it was above 6% in late 2007 when the Coalition was in office