In contrast, the stock of outstanding bills with an original tenor shorter than five months has declined by a total of $ billion (8½ per cent). At the same time, the cost of Australian dollars in the forward FX market has been quite elevated.
Seeing as we are well into the fifth season of the year, as the Carnival period is known here in this part of Germany, and unmistakably so when I see the festive decorations festooning this venue, one or two of you might be expecting a traditional, witty Carnival speech, or at least be hoping, deep down, to hear something equally entertaining.