Andrew Leigh

DOORSTOP - CARRINGTON INN, BUNGENDORE

WEDNESDAY, 31 JULY 2024

SUBJECTS: Launch of new circulating coin to recognize 100 years of Cobb and Co..

ANDREW LEIGH, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT: Thank you all of you for coming out on this beautiful Bungendore day. I acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we are meeting today.

Back in 1853, Freeman Cobb, an American migrant to Australia took inspiration from the stagecoaches that had been criss-crossing his home country to set up Cobb and Co. He did so with three mates and created a stagecoach network that spanned the East Coast. That carried people, packages, sometimes gold, through Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales.

Cobb and Co coaches would travel around 50 miles a day. But the same set of horses wouldn't do the whole run. Typically they’d change horses every 10 miles or so. At a place just like the Carrington Inn. Chatting to proprietor Richard Graham, who appropriately enough is American born, he was telling me that the Carrington Inn was set up with seven rooms for guests to stay. That showed that they were inspired even then, to be not just the place where the horses could be changed, but also a place where the stagecoach riders could stay the night. Cobb and Co was an extraordinary Australian institution, and it did its final ride on the 14th of August 1924.

SPEECH

EVIDENCE-BASED DEVELOPMENT

Asian Development Bank Institute Research Conference on efforts to increase inclusive economic growth, in honour of Dr Peter McCawley
Manila, Philippines
Wednesday, 24 July 2024

Thank you to the Asian Development Bank Institute, the Asian Development Bank and Australian National University for hosting this conference on inclusive economic growth.

It’s an honour to be here representing the Australian Government and to have the opportunity to pay tribute to a great Australian and international citizen, Dr Peter McCawley.

It’s especially pleasing to be invited to speak at an event jointly organised by my friend Professor Hal Hill, one of Australia’s greatest-ever development economists, and Dr Daniel Suryadarma, one of my former PhD students, who has gone on to make a huge contribution to research and policymaking, including in his role at the Asian Development Bank Institute.

SPEECH

DYNAMISM DOWN UNDER: LESSONS FROM COMPETITION REFORM*

Asian Development Bank Competition Policy Dialogues, Manila, Philippines
Tuesday 23 July 2024

Members and guests of the Asian Development Bank, thank you for the welcome. It’s an honour to be here representing the Australian Government.

Australia is a founding member of the Asian Development Bank and we continue to support joint efforts to respond to the needs of the region and deliver transformative development projects (ADB 2024, Wong 2024).

As part of that commitment, Australia supports initiatives to share expertise across a range of areas and I thank the Bank and the Philippines for hosting today’s Competition Policy Dialogues.

SPEECH

MAKING DEVELOPMENT COUNT: EVIDENCE FOR REAL CHANGE

Asian Development Bank, Manila, Philippines
Tuesday 23 July 2024

Good morning, it’s terrific to be here at the Asian Development Bank’s headquarters.

Thank you, Rachel Thompson (Asian Development Bank, Executive Director), for the introduction and for facilitating today’s roundtable.

Australia is a founding member of the Asian Development Bank, and like all members, we want to see positive change for the region’s poorest and most vulnerable.

Earlier this year, the Australian Government pledged its support (A$492 million) for the Asian Development Fund 2025–28 round (ADF14) (Wong 2024).

But our membership isn’t limited to the funding side of things.

Member countries also commit to sharing their expertise and practical experience across a range of areas.

And this visit is a great opportunity to share Australia’s experiences on competition policy and evaluation – two things relevant to the Bank’s wider objectives on improving living standards and making an impact in a cost-effective way.

At the Asian Development Bank’s Competition Dialogues later this afternoon, I will share lessons learnt on competition reform from Australia.

And at the Asian Development Bank Institute tomorrow, I will argue that the more we can figure out what works, the better we can make development programs work for everyone – especially for the most disadvantaged.

On a similar note, I welcome the opportunity to make some opening remarks on making development count and using evaluation and data to maximise our efforts.

NON-COMPETES ARE A DRAIN ON THE ECONOMY AND INNOVATION

In 2022, news broke that Australia's biggest accounting firm had used secret government plans to help clients avoid a new multinational tax law. As the story unfolded, some of PwC's customers decided to take their business elsewhere. Some PwC staff also decided that they would prefer to work elsewhere.

But there was a catch. When partners and employees sought to leave PwC - or its spin-off Scyne Advisory - they began to hit barriers. One clause in the exit agreement imposed a two-year ban on partners working with any client that their business unit had previously advised. Because of the breadth of PwC's client base, this effectively ruled out partners working for almost any government or large business in Australia. After giving notice, the agreement allowed PwC to withhold up to 100 per cent of salary for some partners.

MEDIA RELEASE

ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK COMPETITION DIALOGUES

This week, I will travel to the Philippines to represent Australia at the Asian Development Bank Competition Policy Dialogues in Manila.

Competition policy helps drive economic growth and the meeting will be an important opportunity to engage with representatives from our region.

Among the subjects on the agenda will be competition policy reform and the role of evidence in development policy. I look forward to speaking about Australia’s competition reforms, including the largest update to merger laws in fifty years.

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
2CC CANBERRA DRIVE WITH LEON DELANEY
FRIDAY, 19 JULY 2024

SUBJECTS: Productivity Commission Report on Philanthropy, CFMEU, Political donations reform

LEON DELANEY: The Federal Government has released the Productivity Commission's review on philanthropic giving. It's called Future Foundations For Giving, aiming to double donations by 2030 to strengthen Australia's charity sector and to support vulnerable communities. Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury and Assistant Minister for Employment, not to mention our local member here in the federal seat of Fenner, Doctor Andrew Leigh. Good afternoon.

ASSISTANT MINISTER ANDREW LEIGH: Good afternoon, Leon. And thanks to all of your listeners who make the donations that help our charities do such terrific work.

PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION FINAL REPORT ON PHILANTHROPIC GIVING

The Albanese Labor Government has released the Productivity Commission's once-in-a-generation review of philanthropic giving. The review aims to boost donations to charities to help achieve the Government’s target of doubling philanthropic giving by 2030.

Philanthropic giving underpins the crucial efforts of charities, not-for-profit organisations and community groups to support vulnerable Australians and better connect Australian communities.

The Albanese Labor Government is working to boost the capacity and capability of our expert charity sector by boosting the flow of resources through smarter more effective giving. The Productivity Commission’s report will inform future steps in reaching that goal.

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC CANBERRA MORNINGS WITH ROSS SOLLY
THURSDAY, 18 JULY 2024

SUBJECTS: Impact of social media on creativity, CFMEU, Lack of bipartisan support for increase in ACT Senators, Integrity in the charity sector.

ROSS SOLLY, HOST: Dr Andrew Leigh, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities, Treasury and Employment. Have we lost the art of being bored, Andrew Leigh?

ASSISTANT MINISTER ANDREW LEIGH: I'm a big fan of boredom, Ross. I think it does often encourage creativity. It's those moments of daydreaming when you can get a bit of perspective on a project.

SOLLY: Yes, I'm with you. I think boredom is fun sometimes. I was interested - you and I have spoken about this before, Andrew Leigh, about social media, and I think you and I are coming from the same page on this. But I was interested to see these three leading mental health institutes saying that maybe the approach to banning social media for people under 16 is not the right approach. What do you think?

LEIGH: Look, I read that with some interest and certainly one of the questions around the ban is how it works in practice, which is why we funded the age assurance trial in the last Budget. But more broadly, I think it's also about resetting our relationship with technology and understanding that sometimes putting away the phone and being out in nature can make all the difference. I just went up for a run up Mount Majura this morning. Being out there listening to the kookaburras and looking at Canberra from up on high, that's pretty magical. And no device interaction could have started the day as well as that.

INNOVATING FOR IMPACT: STRATEGIES FOR TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES

Jobs Australia Conference
Wednesday 17 July 2024

Acknowledgement of country

I acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, on whose land I am recording this message today – and the Yugambeh people whose country lies within the City of Gold Coast area where you are gathering for this important conference, bringing together Australian not-for-profit employment service providers.

I also acknowledge any First Nations people present here today.

Introduction

Modern Australia could not function without not-for-profit organisations like yours.

Your work galvanises communities.

Your efforts give Australians the opportunity to thrive, delivering widespread social and economic benefits.

For that, I thank you for the work you do.

Since we’ve come to power, our government has worked hard to rebuild the relationship with charities and not-for-profits.

We’re also working hard to make sure our employment services are up to scratch.

And for that, we need your help.

We’ve made no secret of the fact our employment services system needs to change.

We’ve heard loud and clear from organisations like yours through the House Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services.

And I want to thank the many people who took the time to provide submissions and appear as witnesses.