Before the wind-back-the-stimulus debate gets too wound up, notice that most of the 0.6% in GDP growth is derived from the stimulus package.
Wayne Swan 
The Media Monitors' Top 20: Stephen Smith in top five
The Airlines PNG crash and icy diplomatic conditions with China took Stephen Smith up ten places to a rare appearance in the top five, while Wayne Swan dropped off.
Guy Rundle: Libs left Rudderless, Rudd is all around etc
Apparently senior Libs are looking to replace Malcolm Turnbull with Andrew Robb. It’ll never work though, because Robb is just too similar to PM Kevin Rudd. Ruddbot II?
Housing is overpriced, Swan is making it so
As a treasurer, Wayne Swan makes a fine politician. In a free-market economy, it is not the role of the government to prop up over-priced assets — especially an asset as critical to millions of Australians as housing, says Adam Schwab.
Should Australia appeal for Chinese investors?
An easing of restrictions on foreign investment in Australia by Wayne Swan yesterday does little to change the current issue of Chinese investment in Australia’s rich resources industry.
Rudd and Swan totally exonerated by Auditor-General report
The most aggressive investigators in the Commonwealth have cleared the Prime Minister and, more notably, the Treasurer.
Crikey Says: How media’s myopia hurts economic analysis
Economic commentary in Australia is based on numbers of momentary significance, numbers which are loaded with meaning in the few minutes after their release and then promptly forgotten.
That’s no green shoot, that’s Australia in full bloom: OECD
It’s clear that Australia will have the best performing economy among the major economies this year.
One more revelation for Malcolm Turnbull. Who’s next?
The Opposition, and Malcolm Turnbull in particular, is mired in the fake email affair and, it seems, slowly sinking.
Wayne Swan’s marginal crime no hanging offence
There is a case against Swan for his involvement in Utegate, says John Warhurst, but it’s hardly black-and-white and the Opposition shouldn’t be pointing too many fingers about Ministerial standards.
Crikey Says: Utegate and Turnbull’s missed opportunity
By now we should be into the second day of a concerted, measured and damaging attack from the Federal Opposition on the integrity of treasurer Wayne Swan. But Malcolm Turnbull got greedy.
Coalition unity fractures as team Turnbull loses its grip
Whatever may happen in the email affair and the pursuit of Wayne Swan, Coalition unity is starting to fracture badly on high-profile policy issues.
One afternoon in Parliament: tables turned on Turnbull
The day began with Treasurer Wayne Swan clinging to the cliff edge of his career. By day’s end he had pulled himself back up, with plenty of help from his Prime Minister.
There’s plenty Rudd could do about CBA’s gouging
The CBA home rate rise last week is typical of Australian banks’ cartel behavior, but don’t expect Rudd, Gillard and Swan to do anything about it, writes Adam Schwab.
Australia avoids recession: what the pundits say
Yesterday’s confirmation that the Australian economy had avoided a technical recession sent the Rudd government into a fit of giggles, but the commentariat was less enamoured.
Jobs for wonks: do you want to work for Wayne or Malcolm?
The last two weekends’ career sections have thrown up some interesting job positions.
The Media Monitors' Top 20: Nicola Roxon bests Wayne Swan
If anyone had any doubts that swine flu was the preferred broadcast media issue to debt debates and endless infrastructure lists, figures from this week’s battle for political airspace should erase them.
Political snippets: Wayne Swan the punter’s friend
Mellon Capital Management Corp in San Francisco was placing bets that the Wayne Swan budget will work.
The Media Monitors' Top 20: Wayne Swan is tops
It’s Budget Week, and Wayne Swan has come up trumps in the battle for media oxygen.
Politicians say the darndest things: Budget 09 in sound bites
Politicians know the power of a snappy sound bite. From “green weeds” to “Groundhog Day”, Budget 09 has given politicians the chance to introduce their latest catch phrases.
Infrastructure funding plight continues
What Australia got from the federal budget is a list of projects, not a solution to our infrastructure crisis, writes Phillip O’Neill.
