‘Pathetic and ridiculous’: Simon Birmingham slams Labor premiers for RBA fight

Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham has slammed Labor premiers for their “pathetic and ridiculous” fight against the Reserve Bank, which should be “with the federal government” instead. The Victoria, Queensland and Western Australian premiers have demanded the Reserve Bank cut interest rates to help families cope with cost of living pressures. The RBA will meet for the first time this year next week and is expected to keep rates on hold. “It is rather pathetic and ridiculous to see some of the lecturing of the RBA coming from state premiers,” Mr Birmingham told Sky News Australia. “The RBA rightly has independence; it is completely preposterous to see these Labor premiers grandstanding in the way they are, wanting to try to pick a fight with the independent RBA. “If the premiers want to pick a fight anywhere, they should pick it with the federal government over whether or not they could be doing more.”