Andrew Leigh

EVALUATOR GENERAL: THIRD PARTY SUPPORT

‘The announcement of the Evaluator General is a very welcome one. The more we know about the effectiveness of public programs, the better they can be designed and the more efficiently public money will be used. Well-designed social programs benefit the neediest in society and contribute to making Australian society more equitable. Randomised controlled trials provide the most reliable evidence of policy impacts.’

- Professor Lisa Cameron, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne

‘The idea of an Evaluator General is overdue. Finding out which government programs work and which don’t work will allow us to channel resources to those things that actually make Australians better off. This has the potential to help us to build a fairer, more prosperous Australia.’

- Professor Robert Breunig, Director, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

‘An Evaluator General offers a chance to provide independent and rigorous testing of outcomes. As discussed on The Policy Shop podcast, developing the concept of randomised trials is important for public sector innovation.’

- Professor Glyn Davis, Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Melbourne

‘The new Evaluator General could prove to be a crucial institution for improving public policy in Australia. …  Science has steadily improved lives for hundreds of years through measurable, repeatable observations that allow us to sort what works from what just sounds good. We need to apply the same discipline to policy.’

- John Daley, Chief Executive, Grattan Institute

ENDS

Authorised by Noah Carroll, ALP, Canberra.