Lowy Lecture Series: Does Size Matter? An Economic Perspective on the Population Debate with Dr Andrew Leigh MP

The population size debate in Australia has traditionally generated more heat than light. Some proponents of a big Australia claim that it will make government more efficient, improve national security and boost our economy. The other side often argue that population growth destroys our environment and clogs our roads. In this talk, Dr Leigh will assess the economic evidence on these various competing claims, and bust a few common myths. Drawing on international experience, he will seek to move the debate from ‘how many Aussies?’ to thinking about which population policies actually work, and what mix of migrant skills best suits Australia's needs.

Andrew Leigh is the Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Federal Member for Fraser in the ACT. Prior to being elected in 2010, Andrew was a professor of economics at the Australian National University. Andrew holds a PhD in public policy from Harvard, having graduated from the University of Sydney with first class honours in Law and Arts. He has previously worked as a lawyer and as a principal adviser to the Australian Treasury. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences, the only parliamentarian to be a fellow of one of the four national academies. In 2011, he received the 'Young Economist Award', a prize given every two years by the Economics Society of Australia to the best Australian economist under 40. His books include Disconnected (2010) and Battlers and Billionaires (2013).