Program
Thursday, 5 November 2015
| 8.45–9.15am | Session 1: Opening |
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Mr Paul Kelly, Editor-at-Large, The Australian Professor Glyn Davis AC, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Melbourne The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, Prime Minister of Australia | |
| 9.15–10.40am | Session 2: Making a Difference Policy-makers aspire to change the world for the better, but the gaps between aspiration and implementation can be large. What do we know about successful policy implementation? |
| Chair | Professor Paul Kofman, Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Melbourne |
| Speakers | Mr Glenn Stevens, Governor, Reserve Bank of Australia Mr Peter Harris AO, Chairman, Productivity Commission Professor Deborah Cobb-Clark, Ronald Henderson Professor and Director, Melbourne Institute |
| 10.40–11.00am | Morning Tea |
| 11.00am–12.30pm | Session 3: Why is the Budget so Hard to Fix? The government’s tax revenue has been failing to meet growth forecasts for five years, while spending consistently runs ahead. There is political acknowledgement of the problem but no agreement on the solution. |
| Chair | Professor Helen Sullivan, Director, Melbourne School of Government, The University of Melbourne |
| Speakers | The Hon Chris Bowen MP, Shadow Treasurer Mr Chris Richardson, Partner, Deloitte Access Economics Professor John Wanna, Sir John Bunting Chair of Public Administrations, The Australian National University |
| 12.30–2.00pm | Lunch |
| Chair | Mr David Uren, Economics Editor, The Australian |
| Speaker | The Hon Scott Morrison MP, Treasurer |
| 2.00–3.30pm | Session 4: Concurrent |
| Session 4A: Driving Economic Growth There have been constant shifts in the sources of Australia’s growth since the last recession in the early 1990s. As the resource construction boom winds down, where does Australia turn for future prosperity? | |
| Chair | Professor Christine Wong, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director, Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies, The University of Melbourne |
| Speakers | Professor Bob Gregory AO, Emeritus Professor, Research School of Economics, The Australian National University Professor Mark Wooden, Professorial Research Fellow and Director, HILDA Survey, Melbourne Institute, The University of Melbourne Mr Phil Ruthven AM, Founder & Director, IBISWorld |
| Session 4B: Competition Policy How are commonwealth and state governments progressing with the implementation of reforms urged by Ian Harper’s Competition Policy Review? | |
| Chair | Professor Judith Sloan, Professorial Fellow, Melbourne Institute and Contributing Editor, The Australian |
| Speakers | Professor Ian Harper, Partner, Deloitte Access Economics Ms Lin Hatfield Dodds, National Director, UnitingCare Australia Professor Gary Sturgess AM, Premier's ANZSOG Chair in Public Service Delivery, The University of New South Wales |
| Session 4C: Inequality The rise in extreme wealth among the “1 per cent” has occurred at the same time as an unprecedented reduction in global poverty. | |
| Chair | Professor Shelley Mallett, Professorial Fellow, Social Policy, The University of Melbourne and General Manager, Research and Policy Centre, Brotherhood of St Laurence |
| Speakers | The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Shadow Assistant Treasurer Professor Ross Garnaut AO, Professorial Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Melbourne Dr Francisco Azpitarte Raposeiras, Ronald Henderson Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute, The University of Melbourne and the Brotherhood of St Laurence |
| 3.30–4.00pm | Afternoon Tea |
| 4.00‐5.20pm | Session 5: Is the Welfare System Sustainable? The redistribution of tax payers’ funds through the welfare system is driven by notions of equity. How does this align with individual responsibility? |
| Chair | Associate Professor Roger Wilkins, Principal Research Fellow and Deputy Director (Research), HILDA Survey, Melbourne Institute |
| Speakers | Mr Sean Innis, Group Manager, Social Policy, Department of Social Services Mr Simon Cowan, Research Fellow, The Centre for Independent Studies Professor Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University |
| 7.00 for 7.30pm | Conference Dinner Myer Mural Hall |
| Chair | Mr Paul Kelly, Editor-at-Large, The Australian |
| Speaker | Mr John Fraser, Secretary, Department of the Treasury |
Friday, 6 November 2015
| 8.30–10.00am | Session 6: The Federation The commonwealth has steadily increased its power and revenue base at the expense of the states. There is agreement on the need for rebalancing but not the means. |
|---|---|
| Chair | Laureate Professor Emeritus Cheryl Saunders AO, Director of Studies, Government Law, Melbourne Law School |
| Speakers | The Hon Peter Gutwein MP, Treasurer for Tasmania and Minister for Planning and Local Government The Hon John Brumby, Former Premier for Victoria and Professorial Fellow, The University of Melbourne and Monash University Professor John Daley, Chief Executive Officer, Grattan Institute |
| 10.00–10.20am | Morning Tea |
| 10.20am–12.00pm | Session 7: Concurrent |
| Session 7A: Political Economy of Tax Reform The Henry Tax Review was widely acclaimed but most of its recommendations ignored. What are the ingredients of successful tax reform? | |
| Chair | Professor Janine O'Flynn, Professor of Public Management, Melbourne School of Government, The University of Melbourne |
| Speakers | Dr David Gillespie MP, Federal Member for Lyne Mr Greg Smith, Chairperson, Commonwealth Grants Commission Professor John Freebairn, Ritchie Chair in Economics, Department of Economics, The University of Melbourne |
| Session 7B: Retirement Policy Covering the cost of a rapidly growing aged population will challenge both retirement and pension systems. What can be done to ease the burden? | |
| Chair | Ms Patricia Karvelas, Presenter, Radio National Drive, ABC Radio National |
| Speakers | Ms Karen Chester, Commissioner, Productivity Commission Mr Peter Davidson, Senior Adviser, Australian Council of Social Service Professor Susan Thorp, Professor of Finance, The University of Sydney Business School |
| Session 7C: Innovation Does government have a role in supporting business innovation beyond fostering competition and securing intellectual property? | |
| Chair | Professor Paul Jensen, Acting Director and Professorial Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute |
| Speakers | Dr Matthew Butlin, Red Tape Commissioner, Department of Treasury and Finance Mr David Dyer, Principal, McKinsey & Company On-line Report based on presentation Ms Deena Shiff, Non-Executive Director, The Citadel Group |
| 12.00–1.30pm | Lunch |
| Chair | Mr Jim Middleton, Vice-Chancellor's Fellow, The University of Melbourne |
| Speaker | The Hon Bill Shorten MP, Leader of the Opposition |
| 1.30–3.00pm | Session 8: Concurrent |
| Session 8A: Higher Education Tertiary institutions have become one of the nation’s largest export earners but still have trouble getting their financing onto a sound footing. | |
| Chair | Professor Beth Webster, Director, Centre for Transformative Innovation |
| Speakers | Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham, Minister for Education and Training Professor Glyn Davis AC, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Melbourne Professor Bruce Chapman AM, Director, Policy Impact, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University Mr Andrew Norton, Program Director, Higher Education, Grattan Institute |
| Session 8B: Trade and Investment Bilateral trade agreements have flourished as multilateral trade agreements have become too hard. Do they deliver their promise? | |
| Chair | Mr Rowan Callick, Asia Pacific Editor, The Australian |
| Speakers | Senator Penny Wong, Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment Mr Alan Oxley, Managing Director, ITS Global Professor On Kit Tam, Professor of Finance, College of Business, RMIT University |
| Session 8C: Industry/Political Advice Government faces a vast array of pressures from lobby groups and interested parties as it develops policy positions. Who succeeds and why? | |
| Chair | Mr Nicholas Reece, Director Strategy, Chancellery and Principal Fellow, Melbourne School of Government, The University of Melbourne |
| Speakers | Senator the Hon Scott Ryan, Assistant Cabinet Secretary Dr Andrew Charlton, Director, Sydney, AlphaBeta Mr Geoff Allen AM, Founder Allen Consulting and Chair, The Centre for Corporate Public Affairs |
| 3.00–3.10pm | Short Break |
| 3.10–4.00pm | Session 9: Policy and Practice The challenge of implementing a new policy agenda |
| Chair | Mr David Uren, Economics Editor, The Australian |
| Speakers | The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia Mr Michael Thawley AO, Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Mr Paul Kelly, Editor at Large, The Australian |
| 4.00pm | Close |