2005 Economic and Social Outlook Conference
Sustaining Prosperity

The Melbourne Institute and The Australian were pleased to host their third joint Economic and Social Outlook conference on Thursday 31 March and Friday 1 April 2005

Day One, Thursday 31 March 2005

9.00 am

OFFICIAL OPENING

 

Chair

Professor Peter Dawkins, Director and Ronald Henderson Professor, Melbourne Institute

 

Opening Speaker

Professor Glyn Davis AC, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Melbourne

9.15 - 10.45 am

SESSION 1: THE WELLBEING 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

[paper] [presentation]

Professor Ann Harding, Director, NATSEM, The University of Canberra [ presentation ]

Mr Tony Nicholson, Executive Director, Brotherhood of St Laurence

[presentation]

10.45 - 11.15 am

MORNING TEA

11.15 - 12.45 pm

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

[paper] [presentation]

Mr Gary Banks, Chairman, Productivity Commission

[ presentation ]

Professor Ross Garnaut, Professor of Economics, The Australian National University

[ presentation ]

1.00 - 2.15 pm

LUNCH

 

Chair

Mr Chris Mitchell, Editor, The Australian

 

Speaker

Mr Michael Chaney AO, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Wesfarmers

Topic: Standing Still Is Not an Option

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 [speech]

Ms Jenny Macklin MP, Deputy Leader of the Opposition & Minister for Employment, Education and Training [ paper ]

Professor Bruce Chapman, Professor of Economics, The Australian National University [ presentation ]

Professor Brian Caldwell, Managing Director, Educational Transformations Pty Ltd [ presentation ] [ paper ]

4.00 - 4.30 pm

AFTERNOON TEA

4.30-6.15 pm

SESSION 4: INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, WELFARE REFORM 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 [ presentation ]

 

Speakers

Mr Greg Combet, Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions

Mr Peter Hendy, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry [ presentation ]

Mr Andrew McCallum, President, Australian Council of Social Service

[paper] [presentation]

7.00 for 7.30pm

GALA CONFERENCE DINNER

 

Speaker

Mr Gary Banks, Chairman, Productivity Commission

 

Speaker

The Hon Peter Costello MP, Treasurer [speech]

Day Two, Friday 1st April 2005

8.45 - 9.45am

SESSION 5: FEDERAL-STATE RELATIONS
Do we need to overhaul federal-state relations, especially in health and education?

 

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 [presentation]

Mr David Crawford, Acting President, National Competition Council [presentation]

Mr Rod Pearse, CEO and Managing Director, Boral Limited and Chairman, Business Council of Australia Infrastructure Committe

Mr Rod Sims, Director, Port Jackson Partners Limited

[ presentation ]

9.45 - 10.15 am

Morning Tea

10.15 - 11.45pm

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 [ presentation ]

Professor Brian Caldwell, Managing Director, Educational Transformations Pty Ltd and Professor Peter Dawkins, Director and Ronald Henderson Professor, Melbourne Institute [ presentation ] [ paper ] [ Appendix 2 ]

Mr Larry Kamener, Director and Vice President, Boston Consulting [ presentation ] [ 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 [ presentation ]

Professor Tony Scott, Health Economist, Melbourne Institute [ presentation ] [ paper ]

Ms Mary Ann O'Loughlin, Director, Allen Consulting Group [ presentation ]

Mr Brendan Shaw, Senior Manager, Policy and Research, Medicines Australia [ presentation ] [ 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 [speech]

Professor John Freebairn, Professor of Economics, The University of Melbourne [ presentation ] [ paper ]

Mr Ian Little, Secretary, Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance [ presentation ]

12.00 - 1.45pm

LUNCH

 

Chair

Mr Michael Stutchbury, The Australian

 

Chair

Mr Kim Beazley, Leader of the Opposition [ presentation ]

2.00 - 3.45 pm

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

Profesor Glyn Davis AC, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Melbourne [ presentation ] [ paper ]

Professor Ross Williams, Professorial Fellow, Melbourne Institute and Professor Peter Dawkins, Director and Ronald Henderson Professor, Melbourne Institute [ presentation ] [ paper ]

Professor Elizabeth Harman, Vice Chancellor and President, Victoria University [ presentation ]

Professor Simon Marginson, Director, Centre for Research in International Education, Monash University [ presentation ] [ paper ]

 

SESSION 7B: INDIGENIOUS 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 [ presentation ]

Dr Richard Madden, Director, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [ presentation ]

Ms Jackie Huggins AM, Deputy Director, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, University of Queensland [ presentation ]

Professor Kerin O'Dea AO, Director, Menzies School of Health Research [ presentation ] [ 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 [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 [ presentation ]

Professor Peter Dawkins, Director and Ronald Henderson Professor, Melbourne Institute [ presentation ] [ paper ]

3.45 - 4.00 pm

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 [speech]

Mr Malcolm Turnbull MP [speech]

Mr Paul Kelly, Editor-at-Large, The Australian