ESA (Vic) 2014 Annual Commonwealth Budget Review 2014/15

ESCAPE THE SPIN CYCLE

The Economic Society of Australia (Victorian Branch) invites all our members to the annual Commonwealth Budget Review 2014/15.

This year we have invited three excellent speakers: Professors John Freebairn, Don Harding and Judith Sloan. Each is known for their strong opinions, tempered by experience, as well as their lively direct delivery. Each will speak for 10 minutes after which the floor will be opened for a thirty minute discussion chaired by Associate Professor Neville Norman.

This event offers pointed and deeper analysis distinct from the spin cycle of comments that typically follow budget night. As a feature of the night we will invite members to vote on the proposition that the Branch supports the budget strategy.

We hope to see all members for what is a stand out event on the ESA calendar. It is a Members Only event. Friends are encouraged to take up membership so they too can attend this event.

Speaker Profiles:

Professor John Freebairn

John Freebairn is the Ritchie Chair of Economics at the University of Melbourne. He has previously worked at the ANU, La Trobe and Monash Universities as well as the NSW Dept. of Agriculture and the Business Council of Australia. His interests and long list of publications are primarily in taxation and natural resources, but he has also actively researched in and commented on a wide range of policy issues, from the details of water policy to macroeconomic influences on labour markets.

Professor Don Harding

Don Harding is a Professor of Economics at La Trobe University. He has previously worked at the University of Melbourne, Australian Treasury, the Industry Assistance Commission and ABS. He is an active researcher in macroeconomics, with a particular expertise in analysing the business cycle. He also has a keen interest in public policy.

Professor Judith Sloan

Judith Sloan is an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research as well as a Director of the Westfield Group and a Contributing Economics Editor for The Australian newspaper. She has previously worked at Flinders University as well as being a director for several of Australia’s leading organizations. She has also been a Commissioner at the Productivity Commission. While her original interests were in labour economics, she now writes and comments on a wide range of economic policy issues.