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...
Jul 01, 2025•14 min•Ep. 158
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...
Jun 26, 2025•32 min•Ep. 157
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...
Jun 04, 2025•38 min•Ep. 156
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
May 27, 2025•12 min•Ep. 155
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...
Mar 23, 2025•13 min•Ep. 154
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...
Mar 22, 2025•18 min•Ep. 152
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...
Mar 21, 2025•18 min•Ep. 153
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...
Mar 19, 2025•56 min•Ep. 151
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
Mar 17, 2025•23 min•Ep. 150
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 .
Nov 19, 2024•8 min•Ep. 149
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 .
Nov 19, 2024•15 min•Ep. 148
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.
Nov 06, 2024•32 min•Ep. 147
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...
Nov 04, 2024•29 min•Ep. 146
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.
Nov 04, 2024•55 min•Ep. 145
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".
Oct 13, 2024•15 min•Ep. 144
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 .
Aug 06, 2024•16 min•Ep. 143
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 ....
Aug 06, 2024•26 min•Ep. 142
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...
Jun 25, 2024•19 min•Ep. 141
On 17 June 2024, I spoke to the Australian Evaluation Showcase on the topic ‘Discovering What Works: Why Rigorous Evaluation Matters’. The text of the speech is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-australian-evaluation-showcase-canberra...
Jun 25, 2024•19 min•Ep. 140
On 30 April 2024, I spoke at the HR Leaders Forum in Sydney about some of the fascinating findings emerging from randomised trials in the workplace. The full text of the speech is available here: https://ministers.dewr.gov.au/leigh/experimenting-excellence-randomised-trials-human-resources
Apr 30, 2024•18 min•Ep. 139
On 9 April 2024, I spoke at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s Danks Leaders in Science seminar, on the topic “Healthy Surprises: How Randomised Trials Can Challenge Conventional Wisdom and Debunk Dogma”. The text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-danks-leaders-science-seminar-murdoch-childrens...
Apr 10, 2024•23 min•Ep. 138
On 4 April 2024, I addressed the McKell Institute in Sydney on the topic ‘Unshackling Innovation: Rethinking Non-Compete Clauses for a Dynamic Economy’. The text of the talk is available at https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-mckell-institute-sydney-0
Apr 09, 2024•31 min•Ep. 137
On 28 March 2024, I spoke to the Australian Government Data Summit on the topic ‘Harnessing the Data Deluge: The Surprising Power of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence’. The speech text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-10th-annual-australian-government-data-summit-hotel
Apr 03, 2024•8 min•Ep. 136
On 27 March 2024, I launched the UnitingCare Child Social Exclusion Report. The speech text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/launch-2024-child-social-exclusion-report-parliament-house
Apr 03, 2024•15 min•Ep. 135
On 6 March 2024, my book “The Shortest History of Economics” was launched in Canberra, via a Canberra Times/ANU “Meet the Author” event, in conversation with ANU Vice Chancellor Genevieve Bell. For more about the book, see https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/shortest-history-economics
Mar 12, 2024•53 min•Ep. 134
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
Mar 12, 2024•50 min•Ep. 133
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
Feb 27, 2024•53 min•Ep. 132
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
Feb 22, 2024•8 min•Ep. 131
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
Feb 04, 2024•20 min•Ep. 130
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
Nov 09, 2023•54 min•Ep. 129