ESOC 2005
Sustaining Prosperity: New Reform Opportunities for Australia
Thursday, 31 March 2005
| 9.00am | Official Opening |
|---|---|
| Chair | Professor Peter Dawkins, Director and Ronald Henderson Professor, Melbourne Institute |
| Speaker | Professor Glyn Davis AC, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Melbourne |
| 9.15–10.45am | Session 1: The Well-being of Australians How prosperous have we become? What about the homeless and marginalised? |
| Chair and Speaker | Mr Paul Kelly, Editor-at-Large, The Australian |
| Speakers | Professor Mark Wooden, Deputy Director, Melbourne Institute – View presentation | Download the paper Professor Ann Harding, Director, NATSEM, The University of Canberra – View presentation Mr Tony Nicholson, Executive Director, Brotherhood of St Laurence – View presentation |
| 10.45–11.15am | Morning Tea |
| Session 2: The Medium- and Long-Term Economic Outlook Will Australia’s outstanding productivity performance continue? What is the answer to reform fatigue? | |
| Chair | Mr Tony Cole, Principal-National Practice Leader, Mercer Investment Consulting |
| Speakers | Dr Ken Henry, Secretary, The Commonwealth Treasury – View presentation | Download the paper Mr Gary Banks, Chairman, Productivity Commission – View presentation Professor Ross Garnaut, Professor of Economics, The Australian National University – View presentation |
| 1.00–2.15pm | Lunch Standing Still is Not an Option |
| Chair | Mr Chris Mitchell, Editor, The Australian |
| Speaker | Mr Michael Chaney AO, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Wesfarmers |
| 2.30–4.00pm | Session 3: Education Policy: Universities, Schools and Technical Colleges Is more university reform needed? Are schools slipping in areas such as literacy? |
| Chair | Professor Glyn Davis AC, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Melbourne |
| Speakers | The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP, Minister for Education and Training – Read the speech Ms Jenny Macklin MP, Deputy Leader of the Opposition & Minister for Employment, Education and Training – Read the speech Professor Bruce Chapman, Professor of Economics, The Australian National University – View presentation Professor Brian Caldwell, Managing Director, Educational Transformations Pty Ltd – View presentation | Download the paper |
| 4.00–4.30pm | Afternoon Tea |
| 4.30–6.15 pm | Session 4: Industrial Relations, Welfare Reforms and Workforce Participation What are the Howard Government’s next waves of industrial relations and welfare reform? Are they on the right track? |
| Chair and Speaker | Mr Chris Richardson, Director, Access Economics |
| Speakers | Mr Greg Combet, Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions Mr Peter Hendy, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry – View presentation Mr Andrew McCallum, President, Australian Council of Social Service – View presentation | Download the paper |
| 7.00 for 7.30pm | Gala Conference Dinner |
| Speakers | Mr Gary Banks, Chairman, Productivity Commission The Hon Peter Costello MP, Treasurer – Read the speech |
Friday, 1 April 2005
| 8.45–9.45am | Session 5: Federal–State Relations Do we need to overhaul federal–state relations, especially in health and education? |
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| Chair | Mr Bill Scales AO, Group Managing Director, Regulatory Corporate and Human Relations, Telstra |
| Speakers | The Hon John Brumby MP, Treasurer and Minister for Innovation, State and Regional Development – View presentation Mr David Crawford, Acting President, National Competition Council – View presentation Mr Rod Pearse, CEO and Managing Director, Boral Limited and Chairman, Business Council of Australia Infrastructure Committee Mr Rod Sims, Director, Port Jackson Partners Limited – View presentation |
| 9.45–10.15am | Morning Tea |
| 10.15–11.45am | Session 6: Concurrent |
| Session 6A: Schools How good are Australian schools? Should the best teachers be better rewarded? | |
| Chair | Dr David Kemp |
| Speakers | Professor Geoff Masters, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Council for Educational Research – View presentation Professor Brian Caldwell, Managing Director, Educational Transformations Pty Ltd and Professor Peter Dawkins, Director and Ronald Henderson Professor, Melbourne Institute – View presentation | Download the paper | Download Appendix 2 Mr Larry Kamener, Director and Vice President, Boston Consulting – View presentation | Download the paper |
| Session 6B: Health Policy Can the health system use new medical technologies without costing an arm and a leg? | |
| Chair | Mr Mike Steketee, The Australian |
| Speakers | Mrs Helen Owens, Commissioner, Productivity Commission – View presentation Professor Tony Scott, Health Economist, Melbourne Institute – View presentation | Download the paper Ms Mary Ann O’Loughlin, Director, Allen Consulting Group – View presentation Mr Brendan Shaw, Senior Manager, Policy and Research, Medicines Australia – View presentation | Download the paper |
| Session 6C: Tax Reform Another round of tax reform? Cut the top personal rate? State Taxes? | |
| Chair | Mr Alan Wood, The Australian |
| Speakers | Mr Wayne Swan MP, Shadow Treasurer – Read the speech Professor John Freebairn, Professor of Economics, The University of Melbourne – View presentation | Download the paper Mr Ian Little, Secretary, Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance – View presentation |
| 12.00–1.45pm | Lunch |
| Chair | Mr Michael Stutchbury, The Australian |
| Speaker | Mr Kim Beazley, Leader of the Opposition – Read the speech |
| 2.00–3.45pm | Session 7: Concurrent |
| Session 7A: Universities Does Australia have world-class universities? Should research funding be more concentrated? | |
| Chair | Professor Bruce Chapman, Professor of Economics, The Australian National University |
| Speakers | Professor Glyn Davis AC, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Melbourne – View presentation | Download the paper Professor Ross Williams, Professorial Fellow, Melbourne Institute and Professor Peter Dawkins, Director and Ronald Henderson Professor, Melbourne Institute – View presentation | Download the paper Professor Elizabeth Harman, Vice Chancellor and President, Victoria University – View presentation Professor Simon Marginson, Director, Centre for Research in International Education, Monash University – View presentation | Download the paper |
| Session 7B: Indigenous Health What can be done about the blight of poor Aboriginal health? | |
| Chair | Professor Marcia Langton, Professor of Australian Indigenous Studies, The University of Melbourne |
| Speakers | Mr Dennis Trewin, Australian Statistician, Australian Bureau of Statistics – View presentation Dr Richard Madden, Director, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – View presentation Ms Jackie Huggins AM, Deputy Director, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, University of Queensland – View presentation Professor Kerin O’Dea AO, Director, Menzies School of Health Research – View presentation | Download the paper |
| Session 7C: Welfare Reform and Raising Workforce Participation How can we move more people from welfare to work? | |
| Chair | Professor Mark Wooden, Deputy Director, Melbourne Institute |
| Speakers | Mr Peter Dutton MP, Minister for Workforce Participation – Read the speech Professor Bob Gregory AO, Research School of Social Science, The Australian National University Professor Jeff Borland, Head, Department of Economics, The University of Melbourne – View presentation Professor Peter Dawkins, Director and Ronald Henderson Professor, Melbourne Institute – View presentation | Download the paper |
| 3.45–4.00pm | Afternoon Tea |
| 4.00–5.15pm | Session 8: The Way Ahead |
| Chair | Professor Peter Dawkins, Director and Ronald Henderson Professor, Melbourne Institute |
| Speakers | Mr Craig Emerson MP – Download the paper Mr Malcolm Turnbull MP – Read the speech Mr Paul Kelly, Editor-at-Large, The Australian |