Andrew Leigh Mp: Speeches & Conversations

Recorded live at the Sydney Writers’ Festival on 23 May 2025, I sat down with composer and writer Andrew Ford to discuss our latest books — The Shortest History of Music (Ford) and The Shortest History of Economics (Leigh). We explored how to distil complex subjects without losing their essence and why brevity can still hold truth.

On 23 May 2025, I spoke with Economics Professor at UNSW Sydney, Richard Holden at the Sydney Writers' Festival where we unpack the causes and consequences of economic inequality.    

On 27 June 2025, I gave a keynote address at the National Consumer Congress in Melbourne, titled ‘Fair Go, Fair Markets: Consumer Trust in a Fast-Changing Australia’. The transcript is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-2025-national-consumer-congress-melbourne

On 25 June 2025, I spoke at a McKell Institute event in Sydney, setting out the Progressive Productivity Agenda. A transcript is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-mckell-institute-sydney

On 3 June 2025, I gave a speech at the Chifley Research Centre in Melbourne titled “The Abundance Agenda for Australia”. The transcript is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-chifley-research-centre-melbourne

On 26 May 2025, I launched the Superpower Institute’s report “A Green Iron Plan for Australia”. The text of the speech is here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/molten_ambitions_building_a_low_carbon_future_one_tonne_at_a_time

On 20 March 2025, I delivered an opening address at the Co-Op Federation Assembly titled “Stronger Together: How Co-operatives Build a Fairer Economy”. Transcript: https://www.andrewleigh.com/speech_stronger_together_how_co_operatives_build_a_fairer_economy

On 19 March, I spoke to the Catholic Social Services Australia Conference on the topic “The Least of These: Dignity, Justice, and the Fight Against Inequality“.  Transcript: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-catholic-social-services-australia-conference-sydney

On 19 March 2025, I spoke at a Corones’ Law Competition Reform event on the topic “From Monopoly to Lego: Building a More Competitive Economy From the Ground Up”. Transcript: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-corones-law-competition-reform-event-sydney

Every year I host the Fenner Lecture to encourage more young Canberrans to get excited by a career in science. 2025's lecture is titled, "Understanding Evidence: Can we face the truth about the truth?" presented by former ANU Vice Chancellor Brian Schmidt. Brian Schmidt AC FAA FRS FTSE is Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the Australian National University. For his work on the accelerating universe, Brian Schmidt was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with Adam Riess and Saul Perlmutter. Schmidt has worked across many areas of Astronomy including studying supernovae, gamma ray bursts, gravitational wave transients, exo-planets, and metal poor stars.  The event was recorded 18 March 2025 at the Kambri Cinema, ANU. Download the slides from the 2025 Fenner Lecture by Brian Schmidt.

On 11 March 2025, I spoke to the Economic Society of Australia WA Branch’s ‘Economics on the Swan’ speaker series on ‘Why Competition Reform Is More Fun Than It Looks and More Significant Than You Thought’. Transcript: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-economics-swan-economic-society-australia-wa-branch

On 12 November 2024, I spoke at an Australian Democracy Network event hosted by the Paul Ramsay Foundation, on the topic “The Power of Charitable Advocacy: Three Stories and a Commitment”. The text of the speech is available here.

On 11 November 2024, I spoke at the Competition Policy for the Modern Economy Conference in Sydney on the topic “Anti-Monopoly: Competition Policy for a Dynamic Economy”. The text is available here. 

On 23 October 2024, I joined technology entrepreneur and philanthropist Cliff Obrecht for an in-conversation event launching my new book, 'Battlers and Billionaires: The Updated Story of Inequality in Australia'. Thanks to the University of Sydney and Professor Julie Cairney for hosting the event. 

On 29 October 2024, I gave a talk to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences titled ‘Caught in the Middle: How Market Concentration Hurts Farmers’. The full text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-australian-bureau-agricultural-and-resource-economics

On 15 October 2024, I joined Benevolent Society CEO Lin Hatfield-Dodds for an in-conversation event launching my new book, “Battlers and Billionaires: The Updated Story of Inequality in Australia”. The event was part of the ANU-Canberra Times Meet the Author series.

On 10 October 2024, I joined Richard Glover on ABC Sydney to discuss my new book, "Battlers and Billionaires: The Updated Story of Inequality in Australia".

On 6 August I gave the keynote address at the Philanthropy Australia Conference in Adelaide. Like great music, philanthropy has the power to uplift and transcend, inspire and delight. Full text is available here.

On 1 August, I addressed the Committee for Economic Development of Australia on the history of merger reform. Policy and laws should evolve as the economy evolves. But as history shows, Australia’s ad‑hoc approach to dealing with anti‑competitive mergers hasn’t kept up, lagging best practice in comparable countries. Full text of the speech can be found here.

On 19 June 2024, I spoke to a symposium organised by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Symposium, on the topic ‘The future of Medicare: research-informed policy for better access and health’. The text of the speech is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-academy-social-sciences-australia-symposium-canberra