I will talk about our latest forecasts, the outlook for monetary policy and yesterday's decision by the Reserve Bank Board to end the bond purchase program. In summary, I remain optimistic about Australia's prospects.
Our economy has weathered the pandemic much better than was expected, jobs growth is strong and unemployment is low, household and business balance sheets are generally in good shape and wages growth is picking up. These are all welcome developments. At the same time, though, the country faces challenges.