There’s been a bit of argy-bargy lately between the federal government and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) over why our economy is so sluggish. The government blames the RBA’s interest rate hikes, but the bank insists they’re necessary to keep our economy healthy. So in this Squiz Shortcut we’ll look at the role of the Reserve Bank, how it affects our lives, and why its relationship with the government has hit a rocky patch.

Squiz recommends:

Listening: This podcast episode by ABC’s The Money: Is the Reserve Bank doing a good enough job? looks at both the government’s and the RBA’s perspectives and gives a good overview of the issues.

Watching: The movie The Big Short starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt is about 4 outsiders who see an opportunity in the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2009 and go for it. It’s an entertaining way to learn a bit about financial systems with lots of Hollywood A-listers for company.

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