Jim Chalmers is putting a positive spin on the economy, but is the outlook for Australia grim?

The economy was slowing even before the Middle East conflict and interest rate hikes started to bite, while the boom in datacentres was a rare bright spotGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe economy slowed sharply in early 2026 and Australians’ living standards are once again going backwards. At the risk of upsetting the treasurer by “talking down the economy”, as he put it, there wasn’t all that much to love in the latest national accounts.