Wayne Swan

The best economic news in decades - yes, I'm excited! I'm exuberant about the fact productivity is growing at an annual pace of 1% - if sustained this is great news. The RBA was more concerned than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs about labour costs underpinning inflation. Well, the latest data shows real unit labour costs down 0.1% in the past year, and falling at a thumping 1.6% annualised pace over the second half of 2025. You're more likely to find the Loch Ness monster than an inflation lift inspired by labour costs. youtube.com/watch?v=bJM9-F…

Let's have a look at some facts in the private vs public demand contributions to GDP & the rather lame discussion about the significance of govt demand in the inflation uptick in the second half of 2025. In the latest data, the year to the Sep qtr 2025, GDP growth was 2.1%. The contributions to that 2.1% were: - private demand 2.3 percentage points; - public demand 0.3 percentage points. A year before, in the year to the Sep qtr 2024, GDP growth was 0.9%. The contributions to that 0.9% were: - private demand 0.4 percentage points; - public demand 1.4 percentage points. Just to reiterate: over the last 2 years, private demand has gone from contributing 0.4 percentage points to annual GDP growth to 2.3 percentage points, while public demand has gone from contributing 1.4 percentage points to just 0.3 percentage points. Enough said. youtube.com/watch?v=De5vUz…

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life fighting for equity and justice. He taught us that even in the face of intimidation and discrimination, we must never stop working towards a better future – a lesson that feels especially relevant today. Change has never been easy. It takes persistence and determination, and requires all of us to speak out and stand up for what we believe in. As we honor Dr. King today, let’s draw strength from his example, and do our part to build on his legacy.

This is the first Christmas where your penalty rates are protected. If you’re working today, thank you. You deserve your penalty rates, and we’ll always fight to protect them.

A Christmas Argument That Ended in Harmony nytimes.com/2025/12/24/opi… via @NYTOpinion

Is this one of the greatest scenes in movie history? I think so — that’s why “It’s a Wonderful Life” is my all-time favorite.

What nasty sods 🤨 Outside Sydney & Melbourne many Australians would often have little interaction with those of Jewish faith, yet still have empathy. Shit like what AJA says and does is really really harmful to reputation of those they purport to represent 😞

#PortArthurMassacre 1996 No political point scoring. Labor Oppn Leader Kim Beazley & Democrats Leader Cheryl Kernot supported Liberal PM John Howard & his gun reforms. #BondiBeachAttack 2025 Oppn Leader Sussan Ley & other Oppn MPs are vilifying PM Anthony Albanese. 😔 #auspol

This evening, I joined the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies at a solidarity event following the horrifying terror attack on the Jewish community at Bondi Beach last Sunday. It was an important moment to reflect, mourn and stand together as a community. Australia is strongest when we reject hate and support one another in times of grief.

On the final full day of Chanukah, we honour those impacted by the antisemitic terror attack in Bondi. At 6:47pm, people across Australia will light a candle and observe a minute of silence. Today is about showing Jewish Australians they are loved, and we are mourning as one.

Simple question Will @sussanley have the courage to stand up to @The_Nationals and say that the reform on gun laws are in the national interest Like John Howard and Tim Fischer did in 1996 Backed by Labor #Leadership

Just your friendly reminder that the father who committed the Bondi massacre received both a temporary and a permanent visa under the Howerd Government The son is an Australian citizen who had his security status reviewed under the Morrison Government

Hear, hear. The politicking from Frydenberg and the RWFWs has been disgraceful, cynical opportunism that seeks to set Australians against each other.

Just your friendly reminder that Peta Credin was Tony Abbott's Chief of Staff when the LNP not only opposed hate speech laws but sought to wind back s18C of the Racial discrimination Act Both rejected by Australia's Jewsih community dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/p…

Yes, it’s genocide. Israel’s deliberate, systematic extermination of a people. abc.net.au/news/2025-09-0…

Simple question Has anyone And I mean anyone in the LNP Apologised for their 20+ year history of opposing Racial Hatred Laws Laws supported all that time by the Jewish community That some LNPers now say are necessary?

However dim Europe’s bulbs have grown — and they have dimmed — the rest of the west can still emit light.” My Swamp Notes with @gideonrachman on how we must invite the old world to help redress the balance of the new. as.ft.com/r/286a7367-522…

@GahNotThisAgain Labor led on primaries in 86 seats; to say "the rest were preferences" is misleading. They only needed (some) preferences for a majority of seats because we have preferences.

In which Scott manages to blame Australia’s “unilateral”(!) recognition of Palestine state this year for antisemitic actions last year.

So much guilt projection going on by many in the LNP right now They had almost 10 years in Government to tackle racial hatred (with anti-semitism the number one threat) head on But instead they tried multiple times to weaken the protections Australians needed