NEW AGENDA FOR PROSPERITY

Thursday 27 and Friday 28 March 2008 at the University of Melbourne

Conference Program & Papers

Listen to conference recordings

Read the media coverage in The Australian

The Melbourne Institute and The Australian were pleased to host their fifth joint Economic and Social Outlook Conference.

The election of the Rudd Labor Government offers the prospect of a reinvigorated economic reform program targeted at promoting prosperity and opportunity for all Australians. The New Agenda for Prosperity conference was the first significant conference on the policy approach of the new government. It included contributions from the government's leading ministers: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Treasurer Wayne Swan, Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner, Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin, Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese, Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy; Health Minister Nicola Roxon and Innovation and Research Minister Kim Carr. The Leader of the Opposition Brendan Nelson and the Shadow Treasurer Malcolm Turnbull also spoke.

The gala dinner address was given by Professor Ross Garnaut.

Key plenary sessions focused on the macroeconomic challenges of the China boom and the new inflation pressures; whether the benefits of the boom have bypassed significant parts of Australia; the challenge of tackling indigenous disadvantage after the "apology"; the regulation of the infrastructure catch-up; and the environmental constraint on growth. Concurrent sessions covered issues including education, hospitals, welfare, labour supply, broadband, tax, innovation and research and the regulatory burden.

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