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
On 2 March 2023, I delivered a speech at a Per Capita event (hosted by Maurice Blackburn), titled “How Uncompetitive Markets Hurt Workers”. The full text of the speech can be found here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/how_uncompetitive_markets_hurt_workers_speech_melbourne
On 16 February 2023, I spoke with Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow about their new book, “Choke Point Capitalism”. The event was held at the Australian National University, as part of the ANU / Canberra Times ‘Meet the Author’ series. Thanks to the ANU for permission to post this podcast recording.
Interview on ABC RN Breakfast to discuss my summer reading.
On 7 December 2022, I gave the fourth of my competition reform talks. This one focused on markups, and was delivered at the Sydney Institute. The full text is available here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/address_to_the_sydney_institute_speech_sydney
On 2 December 2022, at the National Press Club, I launched Scott Prasser and David Clune’s edited book ‘The Whitlam Era’. The speech text is available at https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/book -launch-whitlam-era-national-press-club-canberra...
On 23 November 2022, I delivered the WD Borrie Lecture at the Australian Population Association Conference, held at the Australian National University, on the topic “Health Inequalities in the COVID Pandemic: Evidence from Australia”. The text of the speech may be found here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/wd-borrie-lecture-australian-population-association-conference...
On 14 November 2022, I delivered the Warren Hogan Lecture at the University of Sydney, on the topic of ‘Economic Dynamism: A Global Perspective’.
On 2 November 2022, Frank Bongiorno joined me on stage in Canberra to discuss his new book, ‘Dreamers and Schemers: A Political History of Australia’. The event was held as part of the ANU / Canberra Times Meet the Author series.
On 17 October 2022, Andrew Leigh delivered a talk in the Sydney Ideas series – Sydney University’s flagship speech series. Here is a summary: “In October 1992, Prime Minister Paul Keating announced the establishment of a major independent inquiry into competition policy in Australia. Fred Hilmer’s review sparked the National Competition Policy reforms, which was followed by a surge in productivity. Thirty years on, Andrew Leigh will look at what lessons the Hilmer Review and National Competition...
I joined Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens on The Minefield to discuss my new book Fair Game, and to answer the question: What can sport teach us about justice and virtue? Learn more: Fair Game – Monash University Publishing
On 25 August 2022, I delivered the Fred Gruen Lecture at the Australian National University on ‘A More Dynamic Economy’. The text of the talk is available at https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/fh-gruen-lecture-australian-national-university-canberra .
On 10 May 2022, Toby Walsh was in conversation with Andrew Leigh, discussing Toby’s new book ‘Machines Behaving Badly: The Morality of AI’. Toby, a world-leading researcher in the field of artificial intelligence, examines the ethical issues we face in a future dominated by artificial intelligence. Is Alexa racist? Can robots have rights? What happens if a self-driving car kills someone? What limitations should we put on the use of facial recognition? Can we build moral machines? The conversatio...
On 9 April 2022, I spoke with Robyn Williams on the Science Show about my recent book, ‘What’s the Worst That Could Happen? Existential Risk and Extreme Politics’.
