Chalmers Says Investors Bounce Like Kangaroos on a Trampoline While Inflation Sulks on the Sidelines

Treasurer Jim Chalmers told reporters that investors are feeling upbeat about Australian business prospects, despite a backdrop of domestic gloom over inflation and productivity.

In a press conference that felt more like a motivational seminar than a budget briefing, Chalmers likened the investors’ mood to a kangaroo on a trampoline – buoyant and ready to leap – while the inflation gauge watches from the sidelines, looking decidedly less enthusiastic.

He praised a recent uptick in business investment, noting that market participants are keeping an eye on the numbers, even if those numbers sometimes behave like mischievous children.

Chalmers reminded the audience that optimism can survive even when confidence feels a little dry, and that the economy’s surfboard is still expected to stay on the water despite the occasional wave of concern.