The COVID-19 health emergency and the measures enacted to clamp down on the virus sent the national economy into a nosedive.
And yet there are real reasons to hope that 2021 will be a marked improvement.
The prospect of a rollout of coronavirus vaccines draws nearer each day, and the successful containment of the virus has seemingly brought its community spread to a virtual halt.
Meanwhile, figures released yesterday showed the national economy has defied expectations by bouncing back.
The latest national accounts showed the Australian economy has emerged from its first recession in nearly 30 years, growing by 3.3 per cent in the September quarter.
The larger than expected expansion still left the annual rate at minus 3.8 per cent after a 7 per cent contraction in the June quarter.
But regardless, the growth rate is testament to the overall approach by governments and businesses — particularly in WA, and especially from the State’s resources sector.
The figures showed WA’s economy expanded by 4.9 per cent.
Premier Mark McGowan praised WA’s “absolutely outstanding” economic growth, saying the result was further vindication of his decision to shut the State’s border during the pandemic.
Mr McGowan said WA was the only State that escaped a technical recession — defined as consecutive quarters of negative economic growth — and that although unemployment remained high, the State was heading in the right direction.
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the national figures represented the largest quarterly increase in GDP figures since 1976.
But he cautioned there were still hard days ahead.
“Technically, Australia’s recession may be over, but Australia’s economic recovery is not,” Mr Frydenberg said.
“There is a lot of ground to make up and many Australian households and many Australian businesses are doing it tough — very tough.
But the accounts “can give Australians cause for optimism and hope”, he said.
Mr Frydenberg is right to note that we are not out of the woods yet.
But Australia’s emergence from the darkest days of the virus shutdown is cause for a moment of quiet satisfaction.
And it will no doubt be viewed with envy by others around the world who are still struggling.
It was another very welcome reminder of just how fortunate we are to be calling Western Australia our home.
Responsibility for the editorial comment is taken by WAN Editor-in-Chief Anthony De Ceglie