Andrew Leigh

Address to the UK Evaluation Task Force - London

In mid-1998, a year after the election of the Blair Government, I decided that I’d hop on a plane and see it up close. I’d just finished up an intense year as a judge’s associate, working for Justice Michael Kirby on the High Court of Australia, and wanted a break. In Australia, John Howard had just begun what would become the second-longest Prime Ministership in Australian history. Tony Blair’s election was pretty exciting for a young Labo(u)r supporter.

Before leaving Australia, I sent about fifty faxes off to different Labour MPs, asking if they had any work for someone whose enthusiasm greatly exceeded my knowledge of British political institutions. Half a dozen MPs politely agreed to have a cup of tea with me, and I picked up some part-time work with two: Fiona Mactaggart and Ross Cranston.

I attempted to fill in the gaps in my knowledge of British politics, reading the hard-bitten works of Philip Gould and Peter Mandelson, the political philosophy of Anthony Giddens and the tales of John O’Farrell, summed up in Things Can Only Get Better: Eighteen Miserable Years in the Life of a Labour Supporter. For much of the time, I lived in a share house in Kennington, and often walked to work, crossing the Thames at Westminster Bridge, photobombing a tourist photo in front of Oliver Cromwell’s statue, and arriving at work at the ironically named Palace of Westminster. I only spent four months here, but went home impressed.

Address to Oxford University, England

Thank you to each of you – randomistas and non-randomistas alike – for taking the time to join us today. I am grateful to my friend and co-author, the prodigiously productive Philip Clarke for making today’s talk happen, and to our four institutional hosts: Oxford Population Health’s REAL Supply and Demand Units, the Oxford Health Economics Research Centre, and the Oxford Centre for Health Economics.

This is the first talk I’ve given at Oxford since the passing of my extraordinary co-author Tony Atkinson on New Year’s Day 2017. Alongside many of you at Nuffield and the broader Oxford community, I was one of those whose work was shaped by Tony’s ideas and ideals. His smiling photo hangs on the wall behind my desk – a reminder that the best academics aren’t just brilliant and brave, but gentle and generous too.

Let’s start with a story.

ADDRESS TO THE AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (ACSME) - UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA

I acknowledge the Ngunnawal elders, on whose traditional lands we meet today, and pay respect to all First Nations people present.

In today’s data-driven world, understanding statistics is more crucial than ever. Statistics provide us with the tools to interpret and make sense of the vast amounts of information we encounter daily. Once you start seeing the world through a statistical lens, it’s hard to unsee. Like Neo’s red pill in The Matrix, a data-informed life allows you to see numbers everywhere and make better decisions.

From predicting market trends to making informed health decisions, statistical literacy equips individuals with the ability to analyse data, identify patterns, and draw meaningful conclusions.

EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING

Speech to ‘What Works in Policing for Community Safety and Our People’, the Global Evidence-Based Policing Conference 2024, Melbourne
Tuesday, 3 September

I acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, the traditional owners of these lands, and pay respects to all First Nations people present.

I am chuffed to speak to such a distinguished group of practitioners and scholars in policing, from Australia and around the world. Special thanks to those who have travelled internationally to be here. You are integral to creating, developing, and implementing evidence-based approaches to policing

My thanks to David Cowan for the invitation to speak, and for the work he has been doing here in Australia to spearhead evidence-based policing, as Superintendent in charge of the Organised Crime Division by day, and President of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Evidence Based Policing by night.

David Cowan – like so many of you in this room – is a randomista. Not only is he seeking to run experiments, but to build support for long-term evidence-based policing in Australia, and around the world.

BUILDING A MORE CONNECTED COMMUNITY

Address at opening of Salesforce ‘Ohana Floors
Thursday, 29 August 2024

Thanks very much, Andrew. Like Uncle Charles, I'd like to acknowledge the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation on whose lands we meet today, to pay respects to all First Nations people present, and to acknowledge so much that the not-for-profits in the room do for supporting First Nations communities.

I started the day watching the sun rise on Maroubra beach this morning with a group called WNOW, founded by Tadgh Kennelly and David Eccles. It's a group that gets a bunch of blokes together on beaches to do a bit of exercise. We did our push ups and our burpees, and then circled up to talk about our mental wellbeing. Tadgh and Dave founded WNOW because they were worried about the epidemic of loneliness in Australia. They now have chapters spreading not only across Australia, but now around the world. It's just one example of the many extraordinary charities and not-for-profits helping shape Australia for the better.

SIMPLIFYING GENEROSITY: HARMONISING CHARITABLE FUNDRAISING LAWS

Address at the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Regulator’s Day
Thursday, 15 August 2024

Thank you to Commissioner Sue Woodward AM and to the staff of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission for the invitation to speak to you today.

And thank you to all of you who are joining the event, for the contributions you’ve made to develop and improve the regulatory environment of Australia’s charities and not-for-profits.

Seven years ago, I joined representatives of the charity sector to launch the #fixfundraising campaign to harmonise Australia’s fundraising laws.

Celebrating the Australian Institute of Sport's support for our Paris Olympians
Constituency Statements, Federation Chamber
Wednesday 14 August 2024

Most of our Olympians are coming home today and with them 53 medals—the best medal tally for Australia since the Sydney games. There have been some remarkable stories over in Paris: 43-year-old basketballer Lauren Jackson earning her fifth Olympic medal; cyclist Matthew Glaetzer, who lost four bronze medal races in the past four Olympics, beating thyroid cancer and finally getting an Olympic medal in Paris; and Jessica Hull becoming the first Australian woman to claim a medal in the 1,500m and propelling the athletics team to its best result since Melbourne in 1956. We saw Saya Sakakibara, the BMX gold medal winner, with an emotional tribute to her brother Kai. We saw Jess Fox taking home six individual medals in total over her various games, and we've now seen her sister Noemie win in the first-ever kayak cross event. The Fox family in itself would have ranked 29th on the medal table. Kayak cross was supported by the Albanese government's $20 million Paris preparation fund. Then we had 14-year-old skateboarding gold medallist, Arisa Trew, who said to her parents that she would now like a pet duck.

Taxation (Multinational—Global and Domestic Minimum Tax) Bill 2024 - Second Reading Speech

It's important to see this in its historical and international context. No government in Australian history has done more on multinational tax fairness than the Albanese government. No government around the world is doing more to improve multinational tax integrity than Australia.

THE FUTURE OF MEDICARE: RESEARCH-INFORMED POLICY FOR BETTER ACCESS AND HEALTH

Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Symposium
Wednesday 19 June 2024, Canberra

I acknowledge the Ngunnawal elders, on whose traditional lands we meet, and pay respect to all First Nations people here today.

In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a father proudly tells his son ‘When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up. And that's what you're going to get, Lad, the strongest castle in all of England.’

Building Medicare wasn’t easy. In the 1960s, economists John Deeble and Dick Scotton of the University of Melbourne carried out an industry study of the health care sector. In a recent article, Ross Williams recounts their work (Williams 2024). Using data on 5000 people across four states, combined with Ronald Henderson’s poverty survey, Deeble and Scotton showed the problems in the existing system.

They found numerous shortcomings. Pensioners got free health care, but low-income workers didn’t. Around one in five Victorians lacked health insurance, and therefore risked a double whammy – if they became badly ill, they could lose their life savings to medical bills. Meanwhile, the system was regressive, since the most affluent enjoyed tax deductibility of both premiums and co-payments.

DISCOVERING WHAT WORKS: WHY RIGOROUS EVALUATION MATTERS*

Australian Evaluation Showcase
Monday 17 June 2024, Canberra

*** CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY ***

I acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, the traditional owners of these lands, and pay respect to all First Nations people present.

You might think that certain truths are so self-evident that they transcend the need for evidence. For example, in the area of education, surely we know that:

• Parents are more likely to get their kids to school with the threat of losing income support.
• Literacy tests are a fair representation of students’ ability.
• Early childhood staff have the skills they need. 
• A health program that is co-designed with students and educators will address adolescents’ risk behaviours.