Statistics, including those by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, can be, and frequently are, manipulated to obtain the desired result by Politiciand and others. Of course Governments and Business want the Inflation Rate to be low-to-non-existent. That way they can justify refusing to approve Wage rises for Working People whilst at the same time the Politicians arrange through the Politician Owned Remuneration Tribunal for themselves to get a 7 to10 per cent pay rise - that's between $14,000 to $20,000 - every year - for doing SFA, In Australia's Capital of the Absurd, Adelaide SA, a dinky little group ran a survey - one of those "Do you think the Government should...?" (I have forgotten what the subject was). The result was that over 70% said the Government should do whatever it was this little group of absurd people wanted. They claimed that the result was indict\ative of what the "overwhelming majoriyu ofALL Australians, not just those in SA, wanted" They were asked "How many people were actually surveyed?" The respnse? 271 - yes, that is correct, they surveyed 271 people and claimed they were indicative of how All Australians felt about the issue. The absurd SA State Government, for the last 21 years they have all been absurd, accepted the results. Naturally, for there were no personal benefits for the politicians, they did Nothing!

They are insulated from the realities of everyday life. They have an affluent life style and little minions to look after them.

Because they don't want you to know that your getting less for more. They like it when the sheep are sleeping! Right now, if the government of any country says anything: really test it against what you can see, hear, taste, smell and feel. We are all being lied to, to keep us laying down - snoozing. In America, if you remember a few months back when the riots were in full swing, and Senator Nadler was asked about them, he said, "They're a myth", (I saw a report of that incident where, after he said that, someone shouted at him, "tell that to my mother!" (this mother had just had her business burnt to the ground by rioters). So yeah, most politicians right now are not trustworthy to tell you the correct time.

The food wasn't collected/picked during the best part of the season and was allowed to rot so we are being charged higher prices for what is left.

I like inflation when I blow up balloons. However that comment probably does not help in this case.

Who knows on why food is going up. Needs to come down not keep going up and up and up.

Because his wife and his little Elves does his shopping, so he can't have an idea of what is going on in the shops, can't believe I paid $7 for take away coffee

inflation is just another way for our government to line their pockets. lt's call inflation because it's full of hot air which rises.Edited 23-May-21 21:22pm

It's their not so subtle way of giving themselves a pay rise!

Probably because a lot of politicians have no idea how much food costs.

Inflation it always rises can't stop inflation]

Yes very hard things are all dear and not much money

Every time we get a pay rise in wages or pension everybody has to get on the bandwagon and prices goes up. We always end up worse off after a pay rise unless you have a government job.

Everything has risen, except salaries. One day, will blow.

and the cost of energy has risen, but then the powers that be are all building horse stables, probably because they all want horses just because Ned Kelly always wanted one

Have you noticed the decrease in weight and increase in price? Some frozen chips are 900g instead of 1kg. Biscuits have risen but the amount or size has dropped. Grow your own veges and you'll be surprised how much $$$ you save.

yes everything has risen except for our salaries!

mY STOMACHE IS THE ONLY THING THAT HAS INFLATED.

Such is life

Because all politicians are liars!

Australian senator's basic salary in 2020 was $211,250...and that's without the perks. Maybe they could pay their own bills lol

It’s called helping big businesses to rip off the buyers

I definitely see the price difference especially when you go shopping in store. They may change the packaging but the products are still the same. You can understand the increase in price for imported products but not the locally made ones.

Inflation is like constipation everyone knows its happening, everyone feels the pain of it but it just gets sit on and nothing moves or changes except the build up gets worse and no relief for anyone except for those invested in loo paper.

Well Colin has cleared that one up....

Statistics, statistics and damned lies !

Like all things they fudge the numbers to suit what they want to claim. For instance unemployment has dropped but they count anyone who works 1 hour per week as employed so under those circumstances Unemployment probably has dropped but they doesn't mean we have high employment just not as many unemployed by their terms. As for inflation that is an average of things that they do count and they are very restrictive so the finial figures suit their ends again. For instance here food has gone up in price but Petrol has dropped from $1.60 + per liter to somewhere around $1.20 per liter so that is a 20% decrease which pulls the 4% food increase down to practically nothing. If you continue they manipulation across the entire product range that they count it is easy to understand why they get the numbers that they want to push the story that they want people to believe. Politicians are just much better lairs than anyone else and you always know when they are lieing because you can see their lips move.

What annoys me is they spend millions on updating a football stadium when the money could go toward helping the 100s of homeless, not just those on their own, there is families out there living in their cars.

because there is a lot of things they dont count when doing inflation numbers,they dont count every group of products,just some

The price of everything is rising but so are a lot of peoples wages

it is what (deep down) - what the public REALLY wants to hear - it would unnerve the public - if politicians TOLD the truth - then - who would we have left too BLAME - private sector - then we would start questioning capitalism - that would never do?!

Every thing you buy is going up! but inflation is low because it includes free the child care which, was a big negative

Inflation is caused by the Unions who constantly seek higher wages which forces prices to go up to compensate. It is a viscious circle which has nothing to do with Governments.

You only get inflated if you eat the food…lol

As Catherine G says, they always spin the facts to suit theirt political aims. For years now they have been telling us that Inflation is at an all-time low when the General Public knows from experience that this is simply not so. It would be interesting to know who it is that creates the so-called "Basket of Groceries" which the ABS is required to use. When Covid19 began and stores ran out of stock, particularly Groceries, the Retailers all told us that their Warehouses were Full to Overflowing and that the problem was getting the stock to their stores fast enought as a result of the Absurd and Unintelligent Panic Buying created by the Media - Print, Electronic, Word-of-mouth - you name it they created it. Why no-one knows. Then when things started to settle down and deliveries could start again the First Thing the Supermarkets - all of them not just those two media whipping boys Coles and Woolworths - suddnely increased their prices. For example: Preior to Covid19 House Brand Pastas were selling for $1.00, That all went up to $1.20 - a massive 20% Increase, Biscuits went through the roof 15%, 20% and some even 30%. Fruit and Vegetables also skyrocketed in price despite there being no shortages at the time. Everything went up and Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! when those retailers announce their next Finance Reports what had happened? Their Turnovers and Profits had gone through the roof. Australia's Federal, State and Territory Governments and the Unions (they're supposed to look after the interest of Workers but don't) all complained as to how Wages are Low, Inflation is Low, Unemployment is a scandal - they all seem to think that 5% unemployment is acceptable - But let anyone, other than themselves, ask for a modest wage increase they all scream the country cannot afford it. The deliberately corrupt and manipulate the figures. All food prices - be it F&V, Dairy, Meat everything - have gone through the roof. You and I and everyone else who does the shopping, have to manage our finances know that this is true.

Who believes what the Politicians say.

Inflation? As in a lot of hot air .. oh well, winter's coming maybe we can use it to heat our homes .. just crapping on a bit, waste not want not!! But there is more ... "Plenus venter, non libet studenter" = hunger sharpens the mind! (loosely translated).

Not sure why?

politicians lie

Obviously they don’t shop for food very much.

The Supermarkets etc have really made the most of the virus to line their pockets and people have been over buying because they are scared of running out even when there is no shortage of many products. In NZ more people are getting their Groceries delivered, when you go into the supermarket it is a hassle to get even a few bits you need because there are 4 or 5 huge trollies in the isles with staff filling them with online orders, they could easily do that when it isn't as busy but they would have to pay the staff overtime. There have been cases doing lockdown where the Government gave them money to pay staff and the pocketed the money. Some got caught and had to pay it back but I bet some have got away with it.

Which government are you talking about?

I think is just greed. It is always the consumer who ends up paying for a businesses costs !

There are several things that cause the price of food to rise; weather events, the cost of employment and recently COVID. After the weather the most price rises come from wage rises. What people forget is that you may only get a $5 pay rise, but the employer has to pay that $5 and a percentage of that to your superannuation, and to workers comp. All these things add to the cost of things including food. Unions never let us get on our feet before they start shouting for a pay rise. Shame really because until the 80's the pay rises we got kept us in front of the cost of living, not a huge amount but we were in front. Then the greed started and here we are now, more and more people not being able to cope. Always know what you wish for, because you may not like what you get.

I THINK THEY ARE TRYING TO SUPPORT THE FARMERS THAT LOST OUT DUE TO COVIDE

The price of food goes up because of all the disaster we are having

The Australian Government clearly states there is inflation but not as high as they thought it would be because of Covid 19.

Governments NEVER tell the truth

I've not heard the Government (of Australia) saying there's no inflation either?!

Just plan greed ,the Government never tells the truth .

Regulation of prices required in this situation.

I have not heard the government saying there is no inflation.

there is always inflation - and I haven't heard any statements saying there is none!

Everything continues to rise EXCEPT wages for ordinary working people. Since the middle income earners are the major taxpayers (the super rich are the only ones that can afford off shore accounts and shady businesses that enable them to have zero tax liabilies) ordinary wages should go up to keep up with inflation and keep the government tax coffers ticking to enable things like welfare and social services etc.

Agree

Yes I've noticed the increase in prices in shops. If you haven't learnt by now, governments don't always tell you the truth.

I don't know what inflation means.

You can thank our current administration for just about all this BS! Now they want to give $300 monthly for child care to every family making less than $150,000 annually. Talk about being out of touch!!! If I could afford it, I'd move to an island and grow my own food. We need Trump!

lol They hold press meetings almost every day and just blatantly lie and twist the truth about almost everything. They are absolutely useless. It's a shame so many people keep putting up with it or don't seem to see through the bs.

It is how they work their figures. Anyone who buys food knows the prices have been going up or the packaging is smaller or both. All our bills are going up whether it is electricity, gas, water, rates, petrol, insurance, etc. It used to be a similar thing with unemployment figures when they put people into training, or some sort of school etc. as these were then taken off the unemployment numbers but in truth were still unemployed. Every one says the current government is out of touch with the common person. Been said for millennia. Nothing changes. The rich get richer and the poor pay for it.

The current Government is out of touch with the common person

I Agree with all the comments so far

I can only eat gluten free products and they are much higher in price than other items on the shelf. My bread cost $7 for a little over a half loaf while others pay $2. The vegetables can be high but we buy the 5kg potato for $4. Not bad for a main staple food in our diet. I find the electricity high compared to the food. Most of us tend to eat junk food and they can cost a packet. This we can eliminate if we want our budget to be lower and better for our health.

They are trying to appease to general public. I only wished my income rose as fast as prices.

Because they don't go grocery shopping or pay their own utility bills.