Andrew Leigh MP: Speeches & Conversations

On 6 May 2026, I spoke at a Deakin University event on AI for small business. The full speech is available at https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-ai-practice-turning-hype-measurable-sme-impact-panel

On 24 April 2026, I opened the Inequality and Intergenerational Mobility Workshop at the Australian National University.   The full speech is available here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/speech_mobility_is_a_productivity_policy_24_april_2026

On 21 April 2026, I opened the CPA Australia Profit for Purpose Conference with a keynote address "Bequests, belonging and the long future". The full speech is here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-cpa-australia-profit-purpose-conference-2026-melbourne

On 17 March 2026, I had the honour of delivering the Ted Evans Lecture in Brisbane, on the topic “Rethinking economic foundations in an AI world”. The full speech is available on the Treasury website: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/ted-evans-lecture-brisbane

On 3 March 2026, I discussed my new book "The Shortest History of Innovation" with presenter Philip Clark on the ABC Sydney Radio program, Nightlife. You can find more about Nightlife on their website.

On 26 February 2026, I joined the Chief Executive at the Australian Academy of Science, Anna-Maria Arabia, to discuss ‘The Shortest History of Innovation’ at the Australian National University. The event was part of the ANU’s Meet the Author series, coordinated by Colin Steele. The vote of thanks was given by Professor Tim Senden, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure and Entities).

On 20 February 2026, I discussed my new book "The Shortest History of Innovation" with the wonderfully erudite Richard Fidler on ABC Conversations. You can find more about ABC Conversations on their website.

On 30 October 2025, I spoke to an Committee for Capital Cities event in Parliament House about cities and productivity. Read the speech here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-committee-capital-cities-event-future-cities-ambition

On 28 October 2025, I spoke to an event in Parliament House about our reforms to non-compete clauses.   You can read the speech here:https://www.andrewleigh.com/speech_opening_doors_how_non_compete_reform_will_unlock_australia_s_talent_28_october_2025

On 17 October 2025, I spoke at the Australian Repair Summit in Canberra on the right to repair. Transcript: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-australian-repair-summit-canberra  

On 15 October 2025, I spoke about Mahatma Gandhi’s influence on Australia. Transcript here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/speech_the_force_of_truth_gandhi_s_impact_on_australia_15_october_2025

On 8 October 2025, I spoke to the Regional Australia Institute National Summit at Parliament House. Text here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-regional-australia-institute-national-summit

On 8 October 2025, I spoke at a Group of Eight dialogue on “Leveraging Research and Innovation to Turbocharge Productivity”. The text is available here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/speech_degrees_of_growth_how_universities_help_drive_productivity_8_october_2025

On 24 September 2025, I spoke at the Australian National University on new research about the dangers of zero-sum thinking. The speech transcript is here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/speech_the_politics_of_abundance_and_the_perils_of_zero_sum_thinking_24_september_2025

Description: On 17 September 2025, I spoke to the Ecosystem Startup leaders lunch at UTS Startups, Sydney on the topic of “Startups for Growth”. A transcript is available here:https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-ecosystem-startup-leaders-lunch-uts-startups-sydney

On 16 September 2025, I spoke at the Sydney Institute, discussing how scrapping non-compete clauses for most workers is good for freedom and fairness. Read the full speech: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-sydney-institute

On 3 September 2025, I spoke on “Fair Work in the Age of AI” at the ACTU’s Seizing the Opportunities of AI While Protecting the Fair Go Symposium in Canberra. The transcript is available here:https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-seizing-opportunities-ai-while-protecting-fair-go

On 8 August 2025, I spoke at the Asialink Leaders Summit in Canberra on the value of free trade to Australia, and the case against tariffs. Transcript: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-asialink-leaders-summit-canberra

On 6 August 2025, I launched Granville Allen Mawer’s delightful book “Heads and Tales” at the Royal Australian Mint. The text of the speech is available at: https://www.andrewleigh.com/speech_the_heads_we_know_the_tales_we_didnt

On 29 July 2025, I spoke at the AFR Government Services Summit on the topic “Government as a Learning Machine: Using Randomised Trials to Improve Productivity”. The speech transcript is available at: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-afr-government-services-summit-canberra

Recorded live at the Sydney Writers’ Festival on 23 May 2025, I sat down with composer and writer Andrew Ford to discuss our latest books — The Shortest History of Music (Ford) and The Shortest History of Economics (Leigh). We explored how to distil complex subjects without losing their essence and why brevity can still hold truth.

On 23 May 2025, I spoke with Economics Professor at UNSW Sydney, Richard Holden at the Sydney Writers' Festival where we unpack the causes and consequences of economic inequality.    

On 27 June 2025, I gave a keynote address at the National Consumer Congress in Melbourne, titled ‘Fair Go, Fair Markets: Consumer Trust in a Fast-Changing Australia’. The transcript is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-2025-national-consumer-congress-melbourne

On 25 June 2025, I spoke at a McKell Institute event in Sydney, setting out the Progressive Productivity Agenda. A transcript is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-mckell-institute-sydney

On 3 June 2025, I gave a speech at the Chifley Research Centre in Melbourne titled “The Abundance Agenda for Australia”. The transcript is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-chifley-research-centre-melbourne

On 26 May 2025, I launched the Superpower Institute’s report “A Green Iron Plan for Australia”. The text of the speech is here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/molten_ambitions_building_a_low_carbon_future_one_tonne_at_a_time

On 20 March 2025, I delivered an opening address at the Co-Op Federation Assembly titled “Stronger Together: How Co-operatives Build a Fairer Economy”. Transcript: https://www.andrewleigh.com/speech_stronger_together_how_co_operatives_build_a_fairer_economy

On 19 March, I spoke to the Catholic Social Services Australia Conference on the topic “The Least of These: Dignity, Justice, and the Fight Against Inequality“.  Transcript: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-catholic-social-services-australia-conference-sydney

On 19 March 2025, I spoke at a Corones’ Law Competition Reform event on the topic “From Monopoly to Lego: Building a More Competitive Economy From the Ground Up”. Transcript: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-corones-law-competition-reform-event-sydney

Every year I host the Fenner Lecture to encourage more young Canberrans to get excited by a career in science. 2025's lecture is titled, "Understanding Evidence: Can we face the truth about the truth?" presented by former ANU Vice Chancellor Brian Schmidt. Brian Schmidt AC FAA FRS FTSE is Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the Australian National University. For his work on the accelerating universe, Brian Schmidt was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with Adam Riess and Saul Perlmutter. Schmidt has worked across many areas of Astronomy including studying supernovae, gamma ray bursts, gravitational wave transients, exo-planets, and metal poor stars.  The event was recorded 18 March 2025 at the Kambri Cinema, ANU. Download the slides from the 2025 Fenner Lecture by Brian Schmidt.

On 11 March 2025, I spoke to the Economic Society of Australia WA Branch’s ‘Economics on the Swan’ speaker series on ‘Why Competition Reform Is More Fun Than It Looks and More Significant Than You Thought’. Transcript: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-economics-swan-economic-society-australia-wa-branch

On 12 November 2024, I spoke at an Australian Democracy Network event hosted by the Paul Ramsay Foundation, on the topic “The Power of Charitable Advocacy: Three Stories and a Commitment”. The text of the speech is available here.

On 11 November 2024, I spoke at the Competition Policy for the Modern Economy Conference in Sydney on the topic “Anti-Monopoly: Competition Policy for a Dynamic Economy”. The text is available here. 

On 23 October 2024, I joined technology entrepreneur and philanthropist Cliff Obrecht for an in-conversation event launching my new book, 'Battlers and Billionaires: The Updated Story of Inequality in Australia'. Thanks to the University of Sydney and Professor Julie Cairney for hosting the event. 

On 29 October 2024, I gave a talk to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences titled ‘Caught in the Middle: How Market Concentration Hurts Farmers’. The full text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-australian-bureau-agricultural-and-resource-economics

On 15 October 2024, I joined Benevolent Society CEO Lin Hatfield-Dodds for an in-conversation event launching my new book, “Battlers and Billionaires: The Updated Story of Inequality in Australia”. The event was part of the ANU-Canberra Times Meet the Author series.

On 10 October 2024, I joined Richard Glover on ABC Sydney to discuss my new book, "Battlers and Billionaires: The Updated Story of Inequality in Australia".

On 6 August I gave the keynote address at the Philanthropy Australia Conference in Adelaide. Like great music, philanthropy has the power to uplift and transcend, inspire and delight. Full text is available here.

On 1 August, I addressed the Committee for Economic Development of Australia on the history of merger reform. Policy and laws should evolve as the economy evolves. But as history shows, Australia’s ad‑hoc approach to dealing with anti‑competitive mergers hasn’t kept up, lagging best practice in comparable countries. Full text of the speech can be found here.

On 19 June 2024, I spoke to a symposium organised by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Symposium, on the topic ‘The future of Medicare: research-informed policy for better access and health’. The text of the speech is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-academy-social-sciences-australia-symposium-canberra  

On 17 June 2024, I spoke to the Australian Evaluation Showcase on the topic ‘Discovering What Works: Why Rigorous Evaluation Matters’. The text of the speech is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-australian-evaluation-showcase-canberra  

On 30 April 2024, I spoke at the HR Leaders Forum in Sydney about some of the fascinating findings emerging from randomised trials in the workplace. The full text of the speech is available here: https://ministers.dewr.gov.au/leigh/experimenting-excellence-randomised-trials-human-resources

On 9 April 2024, I spoke at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s Danks Leaders in Science seminar, on the topic “Healthy Surprises: How Randomised Trials Can Challenge Conventional Wisdom and Debunk Dogma”. The text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-danks-leaders-science-seminar-murdoch-childrens

On 4 April 2024, I addressed the McKell Institute in Sydney on the topic ‘Unshackling Innovation: Rethinking Non-Compete Clauses for a Dynamic Economy’. The text of the talk is available at https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-mckell-institute-sydney-0  

On 28 March 2024, I spoke to the Australian Government Data Summit on the topic ‘Harnessing the Data Deluge: The Surprising Power of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence’. The speech text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/address-10th-annual-australian-government-data-summit-hotel

On 27 March 2024, I launched the UnitingCare Child Social Exclusion Report. The speech text is available here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/speeches/launch-2024-child-social-exclusion-report-parliament-house

On 6 March 2024, my book “The Shortest History of Economics” was launched in Canberra, via a Canberra Times/ANU “Meet the Author” event, in conversation with ANU Vice Chancellor Genevieve Bell. For more about the book, see https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/shortest-history-economics  

On 4 March 2024, my book “The Shortest History of Economics” was launched in Sydney. University of New South Wales Professor Richard Holden opened the event, and Associate Professor Rachael Meager hosted the in-conversation event. For more about the book, see https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/shortest-history-economics  

In February 2024, I sat down with Richard Fidler on the ABC Conversations program to discuss my new book “The Shortest History of Economics”. The ABC Conversations homepage is https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations  

On 21 February 2024, I spoke at the Australian Peacebuilding Network Roundtable in Parliament House on the topic “Peace at the Policy Table: Australia’s Path Forward”. The text is available at https://www.andrewleigh.com/peace_at_the_policy_table_australia_s_path_forward