Andrew Leigh Mp: Speeches & Conversations

On 4 March 2024, my book “The Shortest History of Economics” was launched in Sydney. University of New South Wales Professor Richard Holden opened the event, and Associate Professor Rachael Meager hosted the in-conversation event. For more about the book, see https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/shortest-history-economics  

In February 2024, I sat down with Richard Fidler on the ABC Conversations program to discuss my new book “The Shortest History of Economics”. The ABC Conversations homepage is https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations  

On 21 February 2024, I spoke at the Australian Peacebuilding Network Roundtable in Parliament House on the topic “Peace at the Policy Table: Australia’s Path Forward”. The text is available at https://www.andrewleigh.com/peace_at_the_policy_table_australia_s_path_forward  

On 1 February 2024, I delivered a keynote address to the Human Technology Institute Shaping Our Future Symposium at the University of Technology, Sydney. The text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-human-technology-institute-shaping-our-future  

Sparking off my book “Fair Game”, the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia organised a debate with David Rowe on the topic “Does sport unite or divide us?”. You can also listen to it on ABC Big Ideas https://abc.net.au/listen/programs/bigideas/does-sport-unite-or-divide-us-/102960996

On 20 October 2023, I chaired a panel on artificial intelligence at the SXSW Sydney conference. The panel was titled ‘Terminator or Star Trek? Shaping the Future of AI’, and featured Tracey Spicer, Rodolfo Ocampo and Theresa Anderson.

On 11 October 2023, I spoke to the Evidence and Implementation Summit in Melbourne on the topic “Changing the World, One Coin Toss at a Time”. The full text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-evidence-and-implementation-summit-melbourne

On 29 September 2023, I spoke at the Australian Evaluation Society’s annual conference on what policymakers can learn from health. The speech began with the example of the radical mastectomy, a procedure that was needlessly performed on half a million women before a randomised trial revealed the truth. The text is available at https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-australian-evaluation-society-2023-international    

On 20 September 2023, I spoke to the McKell Institute in Sydney on the topic “Competition and Artificial Intelligence”. The full text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-mckell-institute-sydney

As part of his run around Australia to raise support for a Voice to Parliament, former Liberal MP Pat Farmer visited Canberra, and held an event at the Australian National University in conversation with Wulgurukaba woman and Indigenous Marathon Foundation graduate Joyrah Newman. The discussion covered ultrarunning, grit, reconciliation and more.

On 15 August 2023, I spoke at the Data for Policy Summit in Canberra. The text of the speech is available here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/data_and_evaluation_a_match_made_in_policy_heaven_speech

On 16 August 2023, I spoke at the 15th anniversary celebration for the Centre for Social Impact in Sydney. The text of the speech is available here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/building_community_and_building_evidence_15_years_of_the_centre_for_social_impact_speech

On 19 July 2023, I spoke to a Per Capita John Cain lunch on the topic of factionalism in the Labor Party. I argued that factional power is at an all-time high, and that it is important for the health of the party to maintain space for people who are not in a faction. The text of the speech is available here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/a_more_competitive_labor_party_speech  

On 7 June 2023, Sydney University marine ecologist Professor Emma Johnston delivered the Fenner Lecture, on the topic of “The Future of Our Oceans”

On 7 June 2023, I spoke to Roland Wilson Scholars at the Australian National University about randomised trials, and the new Australian Centre for Evaluation. The text of the speech is available here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/sir_roland_wilson_foundation_scholar_symposium_speech

On 5 June 2023, I spoke with Kilfinan leaders and mentors, a group comprising people from the charity and business sectors, about the potential for technological distraction to reduce productivity and erode community. Drawing on lessons from agile programming and other high-productivity workplaces, I suggested ways that we might help people engage in deep work and build meaningful connections in an era of smartphones and social media.

On 2 May 2023, I spoke at Yonsei University in Seoul on the topic ‘Choosing openness: How regional partnerships boost economic dynamism’. The full text of the speech is available at https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-yonsei-university-seoul

On 5 April 2023, I delivered a short speech at the National Small Business Summit on the role of fairness in competition laws. The full transcript is here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-cosboa-national-small-business-summit-melbourne

On 17 March 2023, I addressed a conference at Monash University Business School on the theme of ‘Opportunities and challenges of the digital revolution’. The full speech text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-monash-university-business-school-melbourne