Australia's economy stayed stuck in the slow lane in the June quarter as stiff borrowing costs and stubborn inflation squeezed consumers, leaving government spending as the main driver of growth. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday also revealed that domestic price pressures were still running high, underscoring the central bank's reluctance to cut rates anytime soon even though markets are wagering on a December policy easing. Real gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.2% in the second quarter, unchanged for three straight quarters, and was just under market forecasts of 0.3%. Annual growth slowed to 1.0% from 1.3% the previous quarter, lows last seen during the 1990s recession, barring distortions from the pandemic.