2/4  BIS central bankers' speeches  The final issue that I will mention this evening is that of ensuring that our public finances are on the right track. Australia has a good historical record here. Net government debt, as a share of GDP, is still low, although it is higher than it used to be.
The second wave of the pandemic and the associated intensification of containment measures observed since mid-October are expected to result in a renewed significant decline in activity in the fourth quarter, although to a much lesser extent than observed in the second quarter of this year.