Overview

• Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock is set to face the federal economics committee on Monday on the outlook for interest rates, productivity and card payment surcharges.
• Fresh remarks attributed to Bullock highlight lingering labour‑market tightness and slightly stronger recent data, reinforcing a meeting‑by‑meeting, data‑driven approach.
• The ABS will release August CPI on Wednesday, with analysts expecting a modest trimmed‑mean dip to roughly 2.5–2.6 percent, short of the ~2.4 percent some say would justify a September cut.
• August labour figures showed a 5,400 job decline with unemployment steady at 4.2 percent, underscoring a cooling but still resilient jobs market.
• The Productivity Commission reported a June‑quarter productivity lift but flagged weak capital investment, while the RBA presses to remove card surcharges to boost transparency and competition.