Big: The Role of the State in the Modern Economy
Thursday 10 March 2022, 6pm
BIG:
THE ROLE OF THE STATE IN THE MODERN ECONOMY
DR RICHARD DENNISS IN-CONVERSATION WITH JANE CARO AM
THURSDAY 10 MARCH 2022, 6PM-7.15PM
ALLAN SCOTT AUDITORIUM
Hawke Building, UniSA City West campus, 55 North Terrace, Adelaide MAP
Presented by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, in arrangement with
WOMADelaide Festival’s Planet Talks Program
Climate change radically challenges the idea that the smaller the government, the more efficient our economy will be. Regardless of whether governments prefer carbon prices or technology subsidies there is unanimous agreement that markets alone cannot prevent climate change. Likewise, more fire fighting bombers, sea walls and drought assistance will all require more government spending not less.
Discussing his latest book, Big: The Role of the State in the Modern Economy, Dr Richard Denniss outlines how all the big challenges of the 21st century, from climate change to the impact of big tech on our democracy, will require more government spending, regulation and, most importantly, more creativity in thinking about the role of Government.
Richard Denniss is Chief Economist at the Australia Institute, a Canberra based think tank. He writes regularly for The Guardian and The Monthly and has written six other books. He is renowned for translating what he calls "Econobabble" into plain English.
Dr Denniss will be in-conversation with social commentator Jane Caro AM.
Big: The Role of the State in the Modern Economy is published by Monash University Publishing. The book will be available for purchase on the night. Alternatively you can purchase online through Monash University Publishing. To access a special offer, simply enter the code: AUSINSTITUTE20 upon checkout for 20% off (includes free shipping within Australia).
DR RICHARD DENNISS
AUTHOR AND CHIEF ECONOMIST, THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE
Dr Richard Denniss is the Chief Economist and former Executive Director of The Australia Institute. He is a prominent Australian economist, author and public policy commentator, and a former Associate Professor in the Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.
Denniss regularly contributes to The Guardian and The Monthly. He often publishes in academic journals and has written 7 books including: Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enough (with Clive Hamilton), An introduction to Australian Public Policy (with Sarah Maddison), Minority policy: rethinking governance when parliament matters (with Brenton Prosser) Econobabble: How to Decode Political Spin and Economic Nonsense, Curing Affluenza: How to Buy Less Stuff and Save the World, and Dead Right: How Neoliberalism Ate Itself and What Comes Next.
He has been described by Mark Kenny in the Sydney Morning Herald as "a constant thorn in the side of politicians on both sides, due to his habit of skewering dodgy economic justifications for policy".
Twitter: @RDNS_TAI
The Australian Institute TV (including "Richard Denniss Explains"): YouTube Channel
Articles: The Monthly
Articles: The Guardian
Richard Denniss at Womadelaide Festival's Planet Talks
JANE CARO AM
JOURNALIST, SOCIAL COMMENTATOR AND AUTHOR
Jane Caro AM, is a Walkley Award winning Australian columnist, author, novelist, broadcaster, documentary maker, feminist and social commentator.
She has published twelve books, including a trilogy on Elizabeth Tudor, and a memoir Plain Speaking Jane. Her latest book Accidental Feminists explores the life story of women over fifty. Jane appears frequently on The Drum, Sunrise and Weekend Sunrise, and has presented five documentary series for Compass (2015 - 2019). She writes regular columns in Sunday Life and Leadership Matters and her opinion pieces appear regularly in The Saturday Paper, Fairfax and The Big Smoke.
She has been awarded the Walkley Award for Women in Leadership and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the broadcast media as a journalist, social commentator and author.
Twitter: @JaneCaro
Wall Media, Jane Caro
Articles: The Sydney Morning Herald
Articles: The Guardian
BOOK, BIG: THE ROLE OF THE STATE IN THE MODERN ECONOMY
AUTHOR: DR RICHARD DENNISS
Scott Morrison wants to spend a lot more money on defence, the business community wants more spending on infrastructure and education, an ageing population wants better health and aged care, and young Australians want more action on climate change and affordable housing. Each problem requires more public spending, but for decades Australians have been told that the less government spends, the better their lives will be.
Dr Richard Denniss suggests it is time to jettison the obsession with the ‘unfinished reform agenda’ of the 1990s, to consider the breadth and depth of the new challenges confronting Australia, and to chart a course in which governments take more responsibility for solving the problems that will dominate Australian lives in the years ahead. We must abandon decades of denial that the public sector can play a bigger and better role in improving our lives. To build the bigger government these times demand, we must first abandon the baggage of the past.
Big: The Role of the State in the Modern Economy is published by Monash University Publishing.
Presented by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, in arrangement with WOMADelaide's Festival Planet Talks Program
While the views presented by speakers within The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre public program are their own and are not necessarily those of either the University of South Australia, or The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, they are presented in the interest of open debate and discussion in the community and reflect our themes of: Strengthening our Democracy - Valuing our Diversity - Building our Future. The Hawke Centre reserves the right to change their program at any time without notice.
The copying and reproduction of any transcripts within The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre public program is strictly forbidden without prior arrangements.
While the views presented by speakers within The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre public program are their own and are not necessarily those of either the University of South Australia, or The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, they are presented in the interest of open debate and discussion in the community and reflect our themes of: Strengthening our Democracy - Valuing our Diversity - Building our Future. The Hawke Centre reserves the right to change their program at any time without notice.
