Odds of fifth interest rate hike this year shorten as RBA deputy warns inflation outlook ‘worsening’

<p>Andrew Hauser says central bank faces ‘hard choices’ as it looks to balance risks of entrenched inflation with desire to protect labour market</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>The chance of a fifth interest rate hike on Melbourne Cup day has jumped after Andrew Hauser, the Reserve Bank’s deputy governor, warned of “hard choices” amid a “materially worse” inflation outlook.</p><p>Hauser, speaking at an investment bank conference in Sydney on Wednesday morning, said the RBA monetary policy board members were juggling a slowing economy with fears that Australians were starting to lose faith in the central bank’s ability to bring inflation back to the 2.5% target.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/21/odds-of-fifth-interest-rate-hike-this-year-likely-to-shorten-as-rba-deputy-warns-inflation-outlook-worsening">Continue reading...</a>