SA: Howard says economy the best for 30 years

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-1999
SA: Howard says economy the best for 30 years

ADELAIDE, April 30 AAP - The Australian economy was performing more strongly than it had
for the past 30 years, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

Addressing the the Road Transport Forum in Adelaide today, Mr Howard said Australia had low
inflation, lower interest rates, a high level of business investment and a lower rate of
unemployment than three years ago..

He said it also had gained a reputation around the world and particularly within the
Asia-Pacific region for seeing off the worst of the Asian economic downturn.

"That has not happened by accident," Mr Howard told the forum - the national body of the
trucking industry - at its annual conference.

"It has happened through a combination of the hard work of business Australia, a
contribution by the employees of Australia and also through sensible and, on occasion, stoic
government policy in the face of fierce criticism for taking some initially unpopular
measures."

Mr Howard attributed Australia's strong position in part to the government's efforts to the
reduce debt but also to its fundamental changes to industrial relations.

The benefits of that were now being seen in the rising productivity of Australian workers,
he said.

The prime minister also reaffirmed his intention to see the coalition's tax reform package
passed through the Senate and was determined that the focus of the ongoing debate on tax would
remain on the benefits to flow to the Australian community.

"I want the focus to be on the fundamental benefits and reform, not on emotional side
issues that are the stuff of good headlines but do nothing to improve the fundamental
structure or fairness or equity of Australian taxation system," he said.

AAP tjd/ms

KEYWORD: ECONOMY HOWARD

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