Andrew Leigh

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP 
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury 

OPINION PIECE

A Productivity Agenda That Puts People First

Published in The Canberra Times

25 July 2025

In 1930, John Maynard Keynes looked a century ahead and predicted that productivity growth would transform the lives of future generations. Nearly a hundred years on, Australia’s standard of living has soared. Real income per person is more than five times higher than it was when Keynes wrote. Our homes are larger, our education better, our healthcare more advanced.

But Australia faces a new challenge. For much of the past two decades, productivity growth has slowed. Output per hour worked barely moved in the five years leading up to the pandemic. Since then, capital deepening has lagged. Sectoral shifts have made productivity harder to measure – and harder to lift.

This isn’t just an economic concern – it’s a social one. Productivity is the primary driver of real income growth. It’s what pays for aged care and childcare, for better schools and bolder ambitions. Without it, the nation struggles to lift living standards, reduce inequality, or build the society we aspire to.

Recognising this, the Albanese Government has placed productivity at the heart of our economic strategy – not in the abstract, but in a way that is practical, inclusive and forward-looking. What we call the “progressive productivity agenda” focuses on three key areas: investing in individuals, in infrastructure, and in institutions.

Take individuals. Productivity is ultimately about what people can do – the ideas they generate, the technologies they adopt, the challenges they solve. To build those capabilities, we’ve funded free TAFE and expanded university access – especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds. A more skilled workforce is a more productive one.

We’re strengthening healthcare, too, because a modern, efficient health system is economic infrastructure. New urgent care clinics are relieving pressure on hospitals. Expanded bulk billing is cutting out-of-pocket costs and lifting wellbeing. Better health enables fuller participation, fewer absences, and a stronger capacity to contribute.

The Hon Jim Chalmers MP
Treasurer

The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury

Consultation on reforms to non-compete clauses to boost wages and productivity

Friday, 25 July 2025

The Government is taking the next step in reforming non-compete clauses that are holding back Australian workers from switching to better, higher‑paying jobs.

Today we are releasing a consultation paper to gather insights and feedback from workers, business and the broader community about how we ban non-compete clauses to boost productivity and wages across the Australian economy.

Reforming non‑compete clauses is about encouraging aspiration, unlocking opportunity, lifting wages for working people, and making Australia’s economy more dynamic and competitive.

Right now, more than three million Australian workers are covered by these clauses, including childcare workers, construction workers, disability support workers and hairdressers.

Workers should not be handcuffed to their current job when there are better opportunities available for them and that’s what these reforms address.

Research suggests a ban on non-competes could lift the wages of affected workers by up to four per cent, or about $2,500 per year for a worker on median wages.

Productivity Commission modelling suggests the changes could improve productivity and add $5 billion or 0.2 per cent to GDP annually, as well as reduce inflation.

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury 

Welcome Remarks to Fundraising Institute of Australia, CEO Forum

ONLINE ADDRESS

WEDNESDAY, 23 JULY 2025

I begin by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I’m recording this message. I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations people joining today’s forum.

Fundraising is a bit like electricity – most people don’t think about it when it’s working, but everything grinds to a halt when it’s not. It keeps the lights on – literally and figuratively – for civil society. And yet too often, it’s treated as incidental rather than essential.

Fundraising doesn’t just keep organisations afloat – it animates civil society. It links private generosity with public purpose. It ensures that local energy and national ambition aren’t just expressed, but resourced. It’s the engine room of good intentions – but one that still requires careful tuning.

That work is both human and strategic. A small shift in timing, message or medium can translate into deeper engagement. It’s rarely linear – often more trial and error than formula. Sometimes more error than trial. But over time, thoughtful fundraising builds trust, amplifies voice, and enables sustained impact.

This is especially important now, as artificial intelligence begins to reshape how organisations work. AI can personalise donor engagement, identify patterns in real time, and sharpen campaign targeting. Used well, it can extend your reach and help you spend less time crunching data and more time building relationships.

Used carelessly, it risks generating the kind of insights that are technically accurate – and completely useless. Technology can assist – but it can’t replace insight, tone, or tact.

The most successful fundraising efforts of recent years didn’t begin with a data model. The Ice Bucket Challenge worked not because it was optimised, but because it was unexpected, participatory, and fun. The Five Bucks platform resonated because it made giving simple, social and visible. These were human ideas – amplified by technology, but not produced by it.

That’s worth remembering as new tools proliferate. AI can help refine messages, but it cannot create meaning. It can analyse behaviour, but it cannot build trust. When used carelessly, it risks turning supporters into data points – and eroding the very foundations of civil society.

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
2CC RADIO CANBERRA, BREAKFAST WITH STEPHEN CENATIEMPO
TUESDAY, 22 JULY 2025

SUBJECTS: Antisemitism, Israel-Gaza conflict, Economic Reform Roundtable

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO: Joining us now to talk federal politics is the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury and the Member for Fenner, Andrew Leigh. Andrew, good morning.

ANDREW LEIGH: Good morning Stephen, great to be with you.

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO: Now, there’s a lot of things we need to get through because it is the first sitting week of parliament for the term. But this delay in implementing Jillian Segal’s recommendations has no – there is no rationale for that whatsoever. And the comments by Jason Clare, “Well, we need to wait for this other report on Islamophobia,” that’s not actually happening, from an Envoy that’s not actually doing anything because they haven’t hired any staff. There is no reason why these recommendations can’t be implemented, because they’re not going to affect Islamophobia?

ANDREW LEIGH: Well, Stephen, we take antisemitism very seriously…

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO: Well, no you don’t. No, you don’t. You say that. Everybody says that, but you don’t. Let’s be honest.

ANDREW LEIGH: We banned the Nazi salute and hate symbols. There’s penalties of up to a year imprisonment. We’ve invested $4 million in the National Holocaust Remembrance Centre…

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO: Because that’s what the problem is, because that’s going to stop firebombing of synagogues, yeah.

ANDREW LEIGH: We’ve announced $100 million for countering violent extremism. We’ve passed legislation to criminalise hate speech…

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO: Yeah, how’s that going?

ANDREW LEIGH: We’ve appointed the first Antisemitism Commissioner, and so that’s an important measure. And we’re working with the states and territories on a national hate crimes and incident database. And our first…

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO: And yet after all that there’s been an increase in antisemitism?

ANDREW LEIGH: Well, it’s certainly true that passing laws doesn’t eliminate bad behaviour. That’s true of every law we pass, including the murder law.

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TV INTERVIEW
ABC AFTERNOON BRIEFING WITH PATRICIA KARVELAS
MONDAY, 21 JULY 2025

SUBJECTS: Labor’s productivity agenda, Economic Reform Roundtable, Prime Minister’s visit to China

PATRICIA KARVELAS: Here to discuss this. Senator Bragg joins us, and so does the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities, and Treasury Andrew Leigh. They're both in the studio with me because the Parliament's about to sit. Welcome to both of you.

ANDREW BRAGG: G’day.

ANDREW LEIGH: Thanks, Patricia.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: I will start with you because you're proposing this Joint Select Committee. Why? The government's about to have a roundtable, which is very much on this topic.

ANDREW BRAGG: Well it's a wicked problem, and we think that you can do more in a couple of years on a serious issue like this than can be done in just three days in Canberra. And so, we want to work with the government to find the real root of the problem here, of why we have negative productivity growth in Australia, but also to try and help fashion together the community support needed for the inevitable changes that are required.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: So will you support it?

ANDREW LEIGH: It’ll be up to the Senate Patricia, but we've got a strong productivity agenda building on the work of the last term. We'll be bringing forward legislation to get rid of non-compete clauses for low and middle income workers. We’ve got National Competition Policy roaring ahead, collaborating with the states and territories. We've got a strong progressive deregulation agenda now. We need to be building more. We need to be investing in individuals, institutions and infrastructure in order to get that productivity challenge under control. Because we know that decade, that 2020 was the worst productivity decade in the post-war era.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: So just to be clear, you're not opposed to the idea of having a longer committee that looks into these issues?

ANDREW LEIGH: Well, I'm in the House. Andrew is in the Senate, and the Senate will figure out which committees it sets up.

The Hon Josh Wilson MP
Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Assistant Minister for Emergency Management 
Federal Member for Fremantle 

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury
Member for Fenner 

E&OE
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
FLYNN, ACT

MONDAY, 21 JULY 2025

Subjects: Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative, ACT Productivity Roundtable

ANDREW LEIGH, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR PRODUCTIVITY, COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY: Well, good morning, everyone. My name is Andrew Leigh, the Federal Member for Fenner and the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Charities, Competition and Treasury. I went for a run up Mount Majura yesterday in minus three degrees and an experience common to many Canberrans of the winters here really striking to the bone. Canberra is a beautiful city, but a chilly city, too, and one that therefore benefits hugely from energy efficiency upgrades. We're here in the suburb of Flynn, which was gazetted in 1971 and the house behind us built in 1972. That means it had available to it the best building technologies of 1972 which, needless to say, are not the best building technologies in 2025. And that's why the Federal Government has been partnering with the ACT government and states and territories across the nation in order to improve energy efficiency in Australian homes. The home behind us has benefited from energy upgrades, including better insulation in the ceiling and a heat pump put in place to ensure that this home doesn't rely on gas. That's part of a commitment for the federal government to meet the net zero targets that we know we need to ensure that Australia does its bit to combat climate change. But at the very same time, these energy upgrades benefit the public housing residents that are in them by ensuring that they're warmer on those chilly Canberra days, and that they can make important savings on the energy bills. I'll now hand over to my friend and colleague, Josh Wilson, to say more about the program, and he'll then hand to Yvette and Suzanne to talk about the details from an ACT perspective. Josh, over to you.

JOSH WILSON: Thanks, Andrew and good morning, everyone. It is fantastic to be here with Andrew Leigh and colleagues from the ACT government to celebrate a milestone in the partnership between the Albanese Government and the Barr ACT Government when it comes to our Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative (SHEPI) at the federal level, and we're glad to provide funding to support the excellent work that the ACT government is doing to ensure that social housing tenants benefit from energy performance upgrades. As Andrew has pointed out, Australian housing that was built decades ago is not as efficient as housing that we build today, and that means that social housing tenants, some of the more vulnerable members of our community, experience housing that can be too cold in winter and too hot in summer, and in addition, they pay too much for the energy that they use. So, last year, when we delivered the first National Energy Performance Strategy, we followed that up with $2.2 billion in funding, including $800 million now through the SHEPI to see 100,000 social housing dwellings around Australia upgraded, meaning that those tenants enjoy more liveable housing, but also housing that is cheaper to operate, whilst making a contribution to bringing emissions down as we track towards net zero by 2050. it's really important that all Australians benefit from the kind of technology that can deliver cheaper energy prices but reduce emissions at the same time. And social housing tenants have missed out on that, partly because of the age of the housing stock, and partly because of their circumstances. The Albanese Government isn't going to allow that to happen, and we're really glad to partner with the ACT government that has leaned into this area. Quite remarkably, today, we've reached the milestone of 3,000 upgraded social housing dwellings in the ACT, on track to 5,000 here in the AC T, as I said, 100,000 Australia wide. It's a really important partnership. I'm very happy now to hand over to Minister Berry to say a bit more about what the ACT has been doing in this space.

YVETTE BERRY, ACT DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER: Thanks everyone for coming over today, and as you'll see behind me, a good example of some of the upgrades that will be happening into our public housing properties. The program includes community housing properties, as well. This home has the works. It has a energy efficient heating and cooling, energy efficient hot water system, as well as insulation in in the roof these homes. These homes, as we know, are not the warmest homes, and so putting all of these upgrades in provides some dignity, I think, to our public housing tenants in the ACT who can know that they're contributing to the ACT government and the federal government's net zero goals in future years. But saving a significant amount of money between $1,500 and $2,000 on average a year, immediate saving of $300 because they don't have to hook up to gas. And I just know that it's going to make a difference to the living outcomes of people who live in our public housing properties here in the ACT, as well as community housing. As was just said, we're at 3,000 now, which is a significant milestone, so we're on target to meeting that goal of 5,000 by the end of next year, and really excited to hear from public housing tenants what a difference it's making to their lives and what it's made a difference it's making to our Canberra community as well to meet those really important emissions targets. Now I’ll hand over to Minister Orr to give a little bit more detail on climate action.

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC RADIO CANBERRA, BREAKFAST WITH ROSS SOLLY
MONDAY, 21 JULY 2025

SUBJECTS: ACT Roundtable, Peter Ryan condolences, Labor’s productivity agenda

ROSS SOLLY: Some time ago you would have heard the news that the federal government is going to convene a roundtable to look at our economic future and how to increase productivity et cetera, et cetera. They’re bringing together some of the greatest minds from a lot of different fields across the nation. Well now we’ve learned that ahead of that the ACT Government - in collaboration with our federal MPs, are going to bring together a similar roundtable involving ACT businesses, unions, industry groups et cetera, et cetera. So what sort of things will be on the table? What sort of questions are going to be asked? Andrew Leigh is the Member for Fenner and joins us on the show this morning. Andrew Leigh, good morning to you.

ANDREW LEIGH: Good morning Ross. Great to be with you.

ROSS SOLLY: And with you. Can I just, Andrew Leigh, totally off topic here, but the sad news this morning – and I know you would have dealt quite a lot with Peter Ryan in your role in various finance portfolios. But the news this morning that Peter Ryan has sadly passed away just weeks after leaving the ABC. I know you’ve dealt with Peter Ryan in the past, but what sort of experiences did you have with him?

ANDREW LEIGH: He was certainly somebody who was a giant of the business reporting arm of the ABC. And you know, the ABC is a national treasure, as was Peter Ryan. He had that stint working in Washington DC, and a really respected voice, somebody who brought a lot to a national conversation. I think we do business reporting really well here in Australia, and a lot of that is part of great journalists like Peter. Of course, a Walkley Award winner, a real lion of the Australian journalism pantheon.

ROSS SOLLY: And can I just say this about Peter Ryan. My own experience with him - no matter how stupid the questions, he was always willing to give time to give a sensible answer. And I threw my fair share of stupid questions to Peter over the years, and he was always very, very kind. Adrian in Moncrieff says, “It’s so sad to hear about Peter Ryan’s passing. While I’ve never met him, listening to him during every AM, the World Today and PM as the business correspondent, to give the great advice explaining it for everyone to understand and keeping us up-to-date with the latest happenings during these turbulent years in the markets. It hit me to hear about his passing today. Hope all ABC staff look after yourselves today and know how much you become part of many random people’s lives.” Thank you, Adrian. That’s a lovely message. And yes, he did touch a lot of people here at the ABC. Andrew Leigh, so you’re now going to bring together an ACT form of this federal roundtable. Who’s going to be invited, and what sort of things are you looking for?

ANDREW LEIGH: Well, it will be a broad cross-section of the Canberra business community, unions and the public sector. What we’ll be aiming to do is to get together a lot of those ACT ideas about productivity. Of course, we’ve got a national challenge in productivity. The decade up to 2020 was the worst productivity decade in the post-war era. And when we came to office we had the worst quarterly fall in productivity in 45 years. So this isn’t going to be turned around quickly. That’s why we need to bring together as many good ideas and perspectives as we can. Canberra’s business structure is a bit different from other states and territories, a bit less manufacturing and mining, a little bit more services and some of those services that are serving the international community. So I think we have a lot to bring to the productivity conversation.

ROSS SOLLY: Yeah I mean, we do have some fairly unique situations – circumstances here compared to other jurisdictions. Does that lessen our relevance in terms of the overall approach to what we could be doing federally?

ANDREW LEIGH: Not in the least. Indeed, the work we’re doing trying to make sure that we have a more productive public sector is work where Canberra can bring particular insights. Katy Gallagher of course, has been working a lot around – in her role as the minister responsible for the public service in ensuring not only that we have the new values of stewardship but also that the public service is making effective use of new technology, such as artificial intelligence, to deliver better for Australians. One of the issues we had in the last election was this discussion over the proposal to slash the public sector from the Coalition. And I think the way in which that was resoundingly rejected at the ballot box does reflect the strong support that Australians have for effective public services and the public servants that deliver them.

ROSS SOLLY: Yeah. You will probably get though, if you get members of the business community – we’re going to get a response later on from the business community to what sort of things they might bring to the table. There’s a bit of a feeling here in the ACT that, you know, that we’re overtaxed and underserviced just to put it bluntly. And that maybe given the amount of taxes that are paid that we should be getting better services and that businesses should be getting more support. Do you think that’s justified and, Andrew Leigh, a lot of that is out of your control because it’s up to the ACT Government to work the levers on that one. But can you influence ACT Government policy if enough people are telling you of their dissatisfaction with the level of service and the approach of the government?

The Hon Josh Wilson MP
Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Assistant Minister for Emergency Management
Member for Fremantle

The Hon Yvette Berry MLA
Deputy Chief Minister
Minister for Homes and New Suburbs
Minister for Education and Early Childhood
Minister for Sport and Recreation
Member for Ginninderra

The Hon Suzanne Orr MLA
Minister for Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water
Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs
Minister for Disability, Carers and Community Services
Minister for Seniors and Veterans
Member for Yerrabi

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury
Member for Fenner

Energy efficiency upgrades cutting energy bills for 3,000 ACT households

Monday, 21 July 2025

Three thousand Canberran households are saving on their energy bills and enjoying more comfortable homes following energy performance upgrades delivered to social housing properties by the Albanese and ACT Government’s Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative (SHEPI) partnership.

The $35.2 million investment funds the ACT Home Energy Support Public and Community Housing Upgrades Program that will improve up to 5,000 public and community housing properties.

The upgrades include work like installing ceiling insulation and swapping out existing gas appliances for efficient electric alternatives.

The program has so far installed more than 250,000 square metres of insulation, more than 700 reverse cycle air conditioners and 1,000 hot water heat pumps to ensure homes are fitted out to stay cool in summer and warm through the cold Canberra winters.

Along with energy upgrades to their home, residents are provided with information and guidance on how to best operate their home as efficiently as possible with the new features.

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP 
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury 

Unlocking Gen P

ONLINE ADDRESS TO 'GENERATION P: UNLOCKING PRODUCTIVIY FOR AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE'
HOSTED BY FUTURE FORWARD AUSTRALIA

THURSDAY, 3 JULY 2025

It’s great to be speaking to Gen P. A generation with enough optimism to believe we can boost productivity and fix housing and decarbonise the economy – all before lunch. I like your ambition.

Let’s talk about productivity. Not in the abstract, economic-model kind of way – but as the thing that quietly shapes your lives, your wages, your choices, your future.

Productivity growth is how we produce more value with the same effort. It’s what allows wages to rise, governments to invest in public services, and societies to lift living standards without just working harder or longer.

But right now, Australia has a productivity challenge.

When the Albanese Government came to office, we inherited the sharpest quarterly fall in productivity in 45 years. In the June quarter of 2022, labour productivity dropped by 2.4 per cent – the worst result since 1979. But this wasn’t just a blip. Over the decade to 2020, labour productivity growth averaged just 1.1 per cent a year – the slowest in more than half a century, and well below the long-run average.

That matters, because productivity growth is what gives us the breathing space to be generous. It’s how we fund Medicare, pay teachers well, and build a more sustainable economy. If we let it stall, we’re left fighting over a pie that isn’t growing – and no one wants to be the Treasurer at a cake sale with no cake.

So how do we respond?

Senator The Hon Katy Gallagher
Minister for Finance
Minister for Women
Minister for the Public Service
Minister for Government Services
Senator for the ACT

The Hon Chris Bowen MP
Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Member for McMahon

The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury
Member for Fenner

Alicia Payne MP
Member for Canberra

David Smith MP
Member for Bean

Labor's Cheaper Home Batteries Program Begins

Wednesday, 2 July 2025

The Albanese Labor Government is helping households, small businesses and community groups bring down their energy bills with the roll out of the Cheaper Home Batteries program.

Labor’s Cheaper Home Batteries program will help bring down the cost of a typical battery discounted by around 30 per cent. This will save households with existing rooftop solar up to $1,100 off their power bill every year, and those installing a new solar and battery system could save up to $2,300 a year – up to 90 per cent of a typical family electricity bill.

One in three Australian households have rooftop solar – but only one in 40 have a battery.

The Albanese Labor Government is fixing that, by giving all Australians a proper leg up towards the cost of a battery - 30 per cent, or around $4,000 - off the cost of a typical home battery.

In the ACT, there have been nearly 60,000 rooftop solar installations, which have the capacity to produce close to 350 megawatts of cheap solar power. Now with Cheaper Home Batteries, more local households can store that cheap solar from the middle of the day for when they need it.