What happened to the Recession and Swine Flu?
Banks and other mortgage lenders, first home buyers and retailers and all rejoicing as Australia appears to have escaped the recession that has swept the World and the dreaded Swine Flu in a single bound!
Swine Flu reported numbers are falling and without a single fatality, and the Reserve Bank of Australia deciding to leave interest rates unchanged at 3 per cent, when the board met today at its June Meeting.
The Rudd government must be dancing in the corridors of Parliament house this afternoon. Expect them to make the Liberal opposition pay now for its criticism of the stimulus package handouts, and First Home Owners Grant boost, which saved the building industry from decline and job losses. The Retail industry must also be thankful as the stimulus reaped them a record April shopping spree. Things are looking good.
The decision to keep interest rates at its 45-year low is good news for the housing industry, home buyers and mortgage lenders because there is money to throw at any weakness the RBA board sees later in the year.
In a statement released this afternoon, Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens said there was evidence emerging the global economy is stabilising.
"The turnaround is clearest in China and some other emerging countries," he said.
"Recovery in the major countries is likely to take longer to begin and be slower when it does occur."
Mr Stevens said although the effect of low mortgage rates was yet to be seen, future rate cuts were possible if the economy continued to deteriorate.
"The prospect of inflation declining over the medium term suggests that scope remains for some further easing of monetary policy, if needed."
The Reserve Bank cut the official cash rate by 25 basis points in April ending 425 basis points worth of reductions since September.
The central bank has since indicated it is in no rush to lower rates further as it assesses the impact of its easier monetary policy stance and the Federal Government's stimulus packages.
The stimulus packages have worked their magic and have lifted the retail industry, with figures out yesterday showing consumers spending a record $19.4 billion shopping in April.
