The Bottom Line
Updated Monday 26 October 2026
The Treasurer announced a financial services deregulation package he claimed will cut compliance costs by $780 million a year, covering covered bond issuance caps, reporting obligations for smaller banks, and an increase in the deceased-estate withdrawal limit from $15,000 to $30,000. The Treasurer described the package as part of what he called the biggest productivity package in a generation.
Speaking at the Citi A50 Australian Economic Forum, the Treasurer said business investment this financial year could more than double the Budget forecast, and that cumulative additional business investment across three years could exceed $50 billion. The Treasurer also said Australia is growing faster than almost every G7 economy and that the IMF expects this to continue for at least five more years.
MacroBusiness reports the most recent Board meeting produced a unanimous decision and unambiguously hawkish commentary, though it says subsequent RBA communications have been inconsistent with that stance, causing wide swings in market rate expectations.
ABS figures show the unemployment rate has drifted upward since May, reaching 4.7 per cent in September, consistent with a labour market feeling the weight of four consecutive rate rises.
Every figure is checked against official data or attributed to the body that announced it. Past editions