With an election looming, treasurer Josh Frydenberg is just weeks away from delivering his first, and possibly last, Federal Budget.

Last week, the OECD warned the Australian economy has fallen into a ''per-capita recession'' for the first time since 2006, with global and Australian growth predicted to slow even further.

The announcement prompted skepticism from critics. Ross Gittins called it a scare tactic - that any recession qualified by an adjective is not the real deal.

This week on Please Explain we’re joined by senior economics writers Jessica Irvine and Shane Wright to cut through the adjectives and figure out if the recession we all feared has finally arrived, or is the economy being used as a tool, once again, to instill panic and fear?

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

With an election looming, treasurer Josh Frydenberg is just weeks away from delivering his first, and possibly last, Federal Budget.
Last week, the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/global-economic-warning-comes-as-australia-falls-into-per-capita-recession-20190306-p51272.html">OECD warned the Australian economy has fallen into a ''per-capita recession''</a> for the first time since 2006, with global and Australian growth predicted to slow even further.
The announcement prompted skepticism from critics. <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/forget-what-s-happening-in-the-economy-just-latch-onto-a-scary-label-20190308-p512pe.html">Ross Gittins called it a scare tactic</a> - that any recession qualified by an adjective is not the real deal.
This week on Please Explain we&rsquo;re joined by senior economics writers <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/by/jessica-irvine-1mfrxv">Jessica Irvine</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/by/shane-wright-h170pw">Shane Wright</a> to cut through the adjectives and figure out if the recession we all feared has finally arrived, or is the economy being used as a tool, once again, to instill panic and fear?
Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to <a href="https://subscribe.theage.com.au/?promote_channel=PO_PE_GNL&amp;utm_source=PleaseExplain&amp;utm_medium=Podcast&amp;utm_campaign=General">The Age</a> or <a href="https://subscribe.smh.com.au/?promote_channel=PO_PE_GNL&amp;utm_source=PleaseExplain&amp;utm_medium=Podcast&amp;utm_campaign=General">The Sydney Morning Herald</a>.

From the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Please Explain Daily cuts through the noise to give you insight into the stories that drive the nation.

From the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Please Explain Daily cuts through the noise to give you insight into the stories that drive the nation.

Advertisement