Economy data shows need for plan: Morrison

Treasurer Scott Morrison is using the release of data showing the economy shrank in the September quarter to demand support for the government's economic plans.

The national accounts, released on Wednesday, showed economic growth declined 0.5 per cent in the quarter, dragging the annual growth rate down to 1.8 per cent.

The figures are not just a reminder or a wake-up call about being complacent, but rather a "demand to support economic policies that drive the investment needed to support job security", Mr Morrison told reporters in Canberra.