Central Council

Latest News

Trump's impact on the Australian Economy

Poll 66

Top economists say Trump’s policies will hit Australian economic growth and push up inflation and interest rates in the US.

Responses (38)
Read more...

Housing Reform

Poll 65

Panellists are unanimous in believing Australia’s housing market is in crisis.

Offered a choice of 14 measures identified by the Economic Society of Australia as likely to restrain prices for buyers and renters, none of the 49 leading economists polled picked: “do nothing, the market will determine appropriate prices”.

Responses (967)
Read more...

Vale, Philip Macgregor Norman

Philip, an Honorary Fellow of the Economic Society of Australia died recently after a short illness.

As a long-time member of the Victoria branch, he was President and also Treasurer. After his father Arthur Norman died, his mother Jean Macgregor married Richard Downing, the Ritchie Professor of Economic Research, at the University of Melbourne and editor of the Economic Record.

Read more...

Awards 2024

A number of prestigious awards were bestowed upon worthy economists at ACE24, held in Adelaide.  Read on to find out who won the 2024 ESA National Awards.

Read more...

Budget 2024

Poll 64

Panelists were asked to comment on two questions: 

Is the budget likely to achieve its aim of getting inflation back within the RBA target band by the end of this year and back to 2.75% by mid next year?

And

On May 14, the government delivered a budget designed, in the Treasurer's words, to "focus on fighting inflation in the near term and then growth in the medium term " - What grade would you give the budget, given that objective? A, B, C, D, E or F

Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/

Responses (990)
Read more...

ACE 2024

The Australian Conference of Economists was held in Adelaide, SA from 10-12 July.  Presented papers will be published on our website in due course. 

Next year's ACE will be held at UTS in Sydney and coincides with the Society's 100 year anniversary.  Preparations are well underway to bring members a very special event - please stay tuned for more details about ACE25.  In the meantime, hold the date of 6-9 July 2025 and register your interest via the dedicated ACE25 website.

IEA Update from Dani Rodrik

The most important development to report is that our project on Advancing Women in Leadership in Economics, with the acronym IEA-WE, has been fully launched. This is a multi-year project that has been generously funded by Co-Impact Foundation and the Open Society Foundation. 

Read more...

Stiglitz Essay Prize Award

The Economic Society of Australia sponsors an annual Stiglitz Essay Prize in honour of Joseph Stiglitz. The Prize is awarded by the International Economic Association, an association founded in 1950 to support the study of economics across countries, with a particular focus on emerging economies. The ESA is a member of the IEA.

Christopher Parsons (UWA), presented the award on behalf of the Society.

Read more...

Unreserved - RBA's latest release of digitised archival records

The latest tranche of archival records has been released in the Bank’s digital archive, Unreserved. It includes early economic analysis conducted by the central bank from 1930 to 1970.

Read more...

Events

BEST Conference 2025

Event Type: Wide/Public Interest

Date: Thursday Feb 13, 2025, 8:30 am

From: Victoria

6th Annual BEST Conference on Human Behaviour and Decision Making 2025

In 2025, the 6th annual “BEST Conference on Human Behaviour and Decision Making” will be held on Thursday 13 February and Friday 14 February at the Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane Australia.

View...

WEN Credible Economist Writing Competition - ONLINE ONLY

Date: Friday Feb 14, 2025, 12:00 am

From: New South Wales

Deadline is Friday 14 February 2025.

The Women in Economics Network was created to promote and support the careers of female economists in Australia. As part of this, the Credible Economist blog series promotes public contributions by female economists and on the topic of gender economics.

View...

The Economics of AI: What to focus on, What to ignore

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Feb 19, 2025, 12:30 pm

From: New South Wales

David Orsmond speaks on the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, the future direction of artificial intelligence and its impact on the economy. By drawing on experiences seen during previous general purpose technologies, and the economics framework more broadly, this seminar separates the economic impacts that are likely to proceed slowly and be relatively benign from those that should be receiving immediate attention.

Book Online NOW

View...

POSTPONED Electricity Price Trends and Energy Wallet - ONLINE ONLY

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Thursday Feb 20, 2025, 12:00 pm

This event is postponed - the new date will be advised as soon as possible

Seminar Series on Energy Transition - Session One

The energy transition is unfolding rapidly. The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has recently published a 10-year outlook for residential electricity prices, with a focus on projecting how each cost component might change over the next decade. Beyond just examining electricity costs, the analysis also considers how households' total energy costs (or their 'energy wallet’) will change as they electrify transportation, heating and cooking, transitioning from other fuel sources to electricity.

View...

Young Economist – Economic Security Panel Discussion – The effects of geopolitics on economic policymaking in Australia

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Thursday Feb 20, 2025, 5:30 pm

From: Queensland

Please join us to hear from a panel of experts to discuss how the geopolitical landscape is impacting economics and trade, creating challenges and opportunities for both policymakers and businesses. The event will be catered with light refreshments, so be sure to RSVP to secure a spot at this exciting event.

Book Online NOW

View...

AI in Recruitment: Risks of Discrimination

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Feb 26, 2025, 5:30 pm

From: Victoria

Dr Sheard speaks on the use of AI in Recruitment and the impact these systems have on algorithm-facilitated discrimination in hiring. 

Book Online NOW

View...

Australia's Energy Future: Where Are We Headed? - ONLINE ONLY

Event Type: WEN event

Date: Thursday Feb 27, 2025, 12:00 pm

Seminar Series on Energy Transition - Session Two

The Australian electricity sector is undergoing a transformation. Our energy demand is growing, and critical policy and investment decisions are needed to ensure our energy future is reliable, sustainable and affordable. With the 2025 federal election on the horizon, decisions made now will shape the nation’s economy, infrastructure and workforce for decades to come. They will also have budgetary outcomes for successive governments to come.

Book Online NOW

View...

WEN-NSW Coffee Roulette - 2025

Date: Friday Feb 28, 2025, 5:00 pm

From: New South Wales

We are thrilled to announce the 2025 edition of the NSW Women in Economics Network (WEN) Coffee Roulette program. After a successful inaugural run in 2024, we are excited to continue this initiative designed to strengthen connections and foster a vibrant community among women economists in NSW.

Book Online NOW

View...

ABARES Conference 2025

Event Type: Partner Event

Date: Tuesday Mar 4, 2025, 8:30 am

From: Australian Capital Territory

ABARES CONFERENCE : OUTLOOK 2025

Insights for Action: Fostering Growth in a Changing World

With the theme Insights for Action: Fostering Growth in a Changing World, the 2025 conference highlights ABARES' role in delivering data and insights that inform policies, programs and service delivery.

Visit www.agriculture.gov.au/event/abares-outlook to secure your spot or to view program session details.

View...

Déjà vu debt crisis? Better call Saul

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Mar 5, 2025, 11:30 am

From: Victoria

The Economics Society of Australia Victorian Branch invites you to attend a two-course sit-down lunch with Saul Eslake. Saul will discuss the Victorian state debt.

Book Online NOW

View...

A Better Australia

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Mar 5, 2025, 5:30 pm

From: Victoria

Join us for an engaging panel discussion on the book A Better Australia by John Brumby, Scott Hamilton, and Stuart Kells. Moderated by Alexander Millmow, President of the Economic Society (VIC), this event will delve into the intricacies of effective policy-making through the lens of hard-won public policy battles. Engage with the authors and panellists in an event, where you can share your thoughts on the future of public policy in Australia.

Book Online NOW

View...

Economics on the Swan with Andrew Leigh

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Tuesday Mar 11, 2025, 7:30 am

From: Western Australia

The Economic Society of Australia (WA Branch) is delighted to welcome The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP as the keynote speaker for the first 2025 event in its Economics on the Swan series.

Book Online NOW

View...

Dollars and Sense: Exposing unfair pricing - ONLINE ONLY

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Thursday Mar 13, 2025, 12:30 pm

From: New South Wales

In this seminar, Professor Byrne explores "price gouging" in oligopolistic industries.  Professor Byrne explores policy reform and Australian and global influences on firm's willingness and ability to price gouge, along with the future role of government in enabling pro-competitive pricing. 

Book Online NOW

View...

Great Game On

Event Type: ESA Event

Date: Wednesday Mar 26, 2025, 5:30 pm

From: Victoria

Come along for an insightful talk on the modern 'Great Game'. The 'Great game’ refers to an old idea from the 19th century – a shorthand for British and Russian imperial competition in Eurasia, mainly based on thinking by the British that the Russians were after India. An idea with little validity but a widely accepted phenomenon. This talk will explore the parallels between the 19th century 'Great game' and today's geopolitical landscape. The new game is between China and the US – and Eurasia is the hinge. 

Book Online NOW

View...

Welcome

Welcome to the National website of the Economic Society of Australia (The Society). The Society is primarily concerned with promoting discussion and debate of economic issues within Australia.

Read more...

Central Council

map Queensland New South Wales Australian Capital Territory Victoria Tasmania South Australia Western Australia