"pursuing austerity in a stagnant economy" We had the fastest growth in the G7 after the crash. Program spending increased under the previous Government (Hard to call that austerity) with the largest increase in infrastructure spending in over 30 years, taking infrastructure spending to the highest level in over 30 years.

"decades of evidence in Europe, Japan, " Shows that blind deficit spending doesn't work.

Ironically your personal example is an example of the "Austerity" under the previous Government, not the "stimulus" of the current