Chalmers pointed to July’s surge in business creations as a sign of strong activity under Labor, noting 30 times more startups than closures daily and insolvency rates half those under the previous Howard government.
Critics argued the numbers reflect companies restructuring to dodge recent budget tax changes, along with NDIS-related setups and shell companies, rather than real growth.
The debate unfolds against weaker indicators like negative real per capita GDP growth under the current administration, the first such decline in 50 years.
