The Australian economy appears to have shot out of the blocks at the start of the year. It's possible that it grew by about 1.0% q/q in the first quarter, which would be twice as fast as the rate seen late last year. Retail sales growth has accelerated, residential construction activity has remained robust and jobs growth has strengthened. Unfortunately, this burst of activity is probably due to the one-time boost to real spending power from the plunge in petrol prices. As such, it's unlikely to be sustained in the second quarter and beyond.
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