Economic and Social Outlook Conference
The Road to Recovery

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The Melbourne Institute and The Australian hosted their sixth joint Economic and Social Outlook Conference on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November 2009.

Listen to the recordings

Day One, Thursday 5 November 2009

8:45 - 9:15am

Session 1: Official Opening and Keynote Address
Opening Professor Glyn Davis AC, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Melbourne
Speaker The Hon John Brumby MP, Premier of Victoria
Title: From crisis to confidence Enhancing Victoria's competitive edge (Presentation) Speech (Speech)

9:15 - 10.35am

Session 2: Plenary

THE ECONOMY

Chair

Professor Mark Wooden, Acting Director, Melbourne Institute, The University of Melbourne

Speaker

Mr Gary Banks AO, Chairman, Productivity Commission
Title: Back to the Future: restoring Australia's productivity growth (Presentation) Paper (Paper)

Speaker

Dr Brian Fisher, Managing Director, BAEconomics

Speaker

Mr Chris Richardson, Director, Consulting, Access Economics
Title: Will the Budget recover alongside the economy? (Presentation)
10.35 - 11.00am

Morning Tea
11.00 - 12.30pm

Session 3: Plenary

SOCIETY

Chair

Associate Professor Guyonne Kalb, Principal Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute, The University of Melbourne

Speaker

The Hon Julia Gillard MP, Deputy Prime Minister
Title: After the Crisis - Hard reform for a better future (Speech)

Speaker

Mr Saul Eslake, Program Director - Productivity Growth, Grattan Institute
Title: After the crisis: social policy challenges (Presentation)

Speaker

Ms Clare Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Council of Social Services
12.30 - 2.00pm

Lunch
Chair

Mr Michael Stutchbury, Economics Editor, The Australian

Speaker

The Hon Wayne Swan MP, Commonwealth Treasurer
Title: Tax Reform for Australia's Future (Speech)
2.00 - 3.30pm

Session 4: Concurrent

Session 4A: How to tackle social exclusion

Chair

Mr Michael Horn , Senior Manager, Research and Policy, Brotherhood of St Laurence

Speaker

Senator the Hon Ursula Stephens, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector
Title: Tackling Social Exclusion (Speech)
Speaker Dr Rosanna Scutella , Ronald Henderson Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute, The University of Melbourne and the Brotherhood of St Laurence
Title: Estimates of Poverty and Social Exclusion in Australia: A multidimensional approach (Presentation) Paper (Paper)

Speaker

Major David Eldridge AM , Salvation Army
Title: The Salvation Army Australian Southern Territory - Social Inclusion Framework (Presentation)

 

Session 4B: Why are housing prices so high?

Chair

Professor Guay Lim , Professorial Fellow, Melbourne Institute, The University of Melbourne
Speaker Mr Christopher Joye, Managing Director, Rismark International
Title: The $4 trillion part of the economy that few people really understand ... (Presentation)

Speaker

Mr Kieran Davies, Chief Economist, RBS Group ( Australia) Pty Ltd
Title: Whither house prices and affordability? (Presentation)

Speaker

Associate Professor Judith Yates , Department of Economics, The University of Sydney
Title: Policies for lower income earners and vulnerable groups (Presentation)

Session 4C: Tax and Transfer System Reform

Chair

Mr George Megalogenis , Senior Writer, The Australian
Speaker The Hon Jenny Macklin MP, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Speaker

The Hon Joe Hockey MP , Shadow Treasurer

Speaker

Professor Neil Warren , Head of School, Australian School of Taxation (Atax), Faculty of Law, The University of New South Wales
Title: Tax and Transfer System Reform.with a State focus: Tax end game must deal with institutions and process (Presentation)

Speaker

Mr Tony Nicholson , Executive Director, Brotherhood of St Laurence

Session 4D: Fair work Australia, jobs and productivity

Chair

Professor Mark Wooden , Director, Melbourne Institute, The University of Melbourne
Speaker Professor Judith Sloan, Commissioner, Australian Fair Pay Commission
Title: Assessing the economic impact of Fair Work Australia (Presentation)
Speaker Mr John Denton , Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Speaker Mr Paul Howes, National Secretary, The Australian Workers' Union
3.30 - 4.00pm

Afternoon Tea
4.00 - 5.30pm

Session 5: Plenary

THE CRISIS
Chair Mr Michael Stutchbury , Economics Editor, The Australian
Panellists The Hon Lindsay Tanner MP , Minister for Finance and Deregulation
The Hon Joe Hockey MP , Shadow Treasurer
Professor Warwick J. McKibbin, Professor and Director, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, The Australian National University
Title: The Global Financial Crisis: Causes and Consequences (Paper)
Mr Henry Ergas, Economic Consultant
7.00 for 7.30pm

Conference Dinner, Main Foyer and Walk, Melbourne Museum
Chair Mr Tony Cole , Business Leader for Investment Consulting in Asia Pacific, Mercer ( Australia) Pty Ltd
Speaker Mr Glenn Stevens , Governor, Reserve Bank of Australia
Title: The road to prosperity (Speech)

Day Two, Friday 6 November 2009
8.45 - 10.15am

Session 6: Plenary

CLIMATE CHANGE
Chair Mr Gary Banks , Chair, Productivity Commission
Speaker Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Climate Change and Water
Speaker Professor Warwick J. McKibbin, Professor and Director, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, The Australian National University
Title: A Copenhagen Collar: Achieving Comparable Effort Through Carbon Price Agreements (Paper)
Speaker Mr David Pearce , Director and Principal Policy Analyst, The Centre for International Economics
Title: Carbon pricing: have we got the right model and when will we know? (Presentation)
10 15 - 10.45am

Morning tea
10.45 - 12.15pm

Session 7: Concurrent

Session 7A: Re-setting priorities in Health Reform
Chair Mr Peter Allen, Deputy Dean, The Australian and New Zealand School of Government
Speaker Professor John Deeble AO, Emeritus Professor, The Australian National University
Title: Le plus a change: recollections of a retiring health economist (Presentation) Paper (Paper)
Speaker Professor Tony Scott, Professorial Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute, The University of Melbourne
Title: Choice, competition and performance: challenges for the health care system (Presentation)
Speaker Ms Mary Ann O'Loughlin , Executive Councillor and Head of Secretariat, COAG Reform Council
Title: Against all odds? Using our federal system to advance health reform

Session 7B: What next in the Education Revolution?
Chair Professor Barry McGaw , Director, Melbourne Education Research Institute, The University of Melbourne
Speaker Professor Collette Tayler , Chair of Early Childhood Education and Care, The University of Melbourne
Title: What next in the Education Revolution? An Early Childhood Development strategy that can achieve positive return on investment? (Paper)
Speaker Professor Jack Keating , Associate Director, Centre for Postcompulsory Education and Lifelong Learning, The University of Melbourne
Title: What next in the Education Revolution - Schooling? (Presentation) Paper (Paper)
Speaker Professor Andrew Leigh , Economics Program, Research School of Social Sciences, The Australian National University
Title: What next in the Education Revolution (Presentation)

Session 7C: Getting the unemployed back to work
Chair Professor Mark Considine , Dean, Faculty of Arts, The University of Melbourne

Speaker

Mr David Thompson , Chief Executive Officer, Jobs Australia
Title: After the GFC - What now for long term unemployed people? (Presentation)
Speaker Professor Jan van Ours, Professor of Labour Economics, Department of Economics, Tilburg University, The Netherlands
Title: Getting the unemployed back to work (Presentation)
Speaker Professor Bob Gregory AO , Professor of Economics, Economics Program, Research School of Social Sciences, The Australian National University
Title: Getting the unemployed back to work (Supporting Slides)

Session 7D: The infrastructure challenge
Chair Ms Melinda Cilento , Deputy Chief Executive, Business Council of Australia
Speaker Mr Michael Deegan, Infrastructure Coordinator, Infrastructure Australia
Title: Leading for the Future (Presentation)
Speaker Mr Scott Morrison MP, Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government
Speaker Mr Rod Sims, Director, Port Jackson Partners Limited
12.15 - 1.45pm

Lunch
Chair Professor Margaret Abernethy , Dean, Faculty of Economics and Commerce, The University of Melbourne
Speaker The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, Leader of the Opposition
1.45 - 3.15pm

Session 8: Concurrent

Session 8A: Promoting Innovation
Chair Dr Peter Jonson, Professional Director and Economist
Speaker Senator the Hon Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
Speaker Dr Beth Webster , Principal Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute, The University of Melbourne
Title: Promoting Innovation (Presentation)
Speaker Dr Ralph Lattimore , Assistant Commissioner, Productivity Commission

Session 8B: Closing the indigenous gap
Chair Mr Robert Fitzgerald AM, Commissioner, Productivity Commission
Speaker The Hon Tony Abbott MP , Shadow Minister for Families, Community Services and the Voluntary Sector
Title: Closing the Gap (Speech)
Speaker Dr Boyd Hunter, Senior Fellow, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, The Australian National University
Title: Macro-factors and the ability to 'close the gap' (Presentation)
Speaker Mr Wesley Aird , Coordinator of the Australian Employment Covenant and Board Member of the Bennelong Society

Session 8C: Re-skilling Australia for the next upswing
Chair Dr Roger Wilkins, Principal Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute, The University of Melbourne
Speaker Mr Philip Bullock , Chair, Skills Australia
Title: Workforce challenges 2010-2025 (Presentation)
Speaker Mrs Heather Ridout , Chief Executive, Australian Industry Group
Title: Re-skilling Australia for the next upswing (Presentation)
Speaker Dr Tom Karmel , Managing Director, National Centre for Vocational Education Research
Title: Skilling and re-skilling for our future (Presentation)

Session 8D: The future of the bush: the outlook for regional Australia
Chair Adjunt Professor Alison McClelland , Executive Director, Strategic Policy, Research and Forecasting, Department of Planning and Community Development
Speaker Mr Mike Woods , Deputy Chair, Productivity Commission
Title: Government drought support and adjustment in regional Australia (Presentation) Paper (Paper)
Speaker Dr Neil Barr, Rural, Social Research Team, Department of Primary Industries, Victoria
Title: The future of the bush (Presentation)
Speaker Mr Richard Stayner, Program Leader, The Institute for Rural Futures, University of New England
Title: Rural Australia after the crisis (Presentation)
3.15 - 3.30pm

Afternoon tea
3.30 - 4.50pm

Session 9: Plenary

THE POLICY PRIORITIES
Chair Professor Glyn Davis AC, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Melbourne
Speaker Professor Ross Garnaut AO , Vice-Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute, The University of Melbourne
Title: A Time For Prudence (Paper)
Speaker Professor John Freebairn , Ritchie Chair in Economics, Department of Economics, The University of Melbourne
Title: Never Let a Good Crisis Go To Waste (Presentation)
Speaker Mr Greig Gailey , President, Business Council of Australia
Speaker Mr Paul Kelly , Editor-at-Large, The Australian
4.50 - 5.00pm

Conference Conclusion