Georgia Stynes:
I need to go now to Dr Andrew Leigh, who has been waiting very patiently. He’s the federal Member for Fenner and the Assistant Minister for Productivity. Why are we talking about productivity? Because 27 local groups were invited today to meet, including local charities, to talk about productivity here in the ACT, and he joins me. Good evening.
Andrew Leigh:
Good evening Georgia, great to be with you.
Stynes:
Yeah, great to be with you too. Tell me what happened today? What struck you today with the meeting?
Leigh:
Well, I was really impressed by the collaborative spirit that the attendees brought to the conversation. Alicia Payne, Dave Smith, Katy Gallagher and I got together a range of organisations across the business community, social sector, higher education, in order to talk about how we get more output and less burnout. We’re not aiming to try and make people work harder; it’s about getting smarter outcomes.
And you know, one way of thinking about productivity Georgia, is it’s a bit like if the economy was a bicycle – productivity is the oil on the chain. So, we had a whole lot of specific ideas that came forward. Things around computing infrastructure, building more housing, ensuring that we’re better joining up university and vocational sectors and avoiding some of the unnecessary regulatory overlap with other jurisdictions.
Stynes:
I understand the PM said there’s low‑hanging fruit. Is that what he’s referring to, that could be acted on quickly?
Leigh:
Look, absolutely. And one of our attendees made the point that just as the ACT was the first whole jurisdiction to roll‑out the National Disability Insurance Scheme, so too we could be a testing ground for other new ideas – building on our strengths in innovation and the care economy and quality of life. Now, we’re a smart city with a lot of big ideas and that was really on display today with the constructive conversation that we had.
Stynes:
We’re also a city that is growing rapidly, and you’ve also got obviously this national focus here as well. You heard there, probably the interview before. Thank you for waiting so patiently too. But there’s a pressure on development, there’s a pressure on here in Canberra, how to grow but not leave people behind. Do you see that though, in your role?
Leigh:
Absolutely, and I know every time I chat to the ACT Government about things like their missing middle plan – their desire to see houses built more quickly. We know we need to bring to these conversations an environment lens, an agenda lens, they are things that are so important to the values of Canberrans.
And we also need to make sure that we’re encouraging the right levels of tourism to Australia. Particularly where that’s students coming to make their very first visit to the ACT which sets them on a lifelong path of recognising how great it is to have a national capital with all our wonderful national cultural institutions.
Stynes:
Just very quickly though, because we’re coming up to news. What is one specific outcome that you’ll take to the national roundtable?
Leigh:
Look, I think one thing that I’ll take forward is the importance of getting good transport networks. The importance of having a connectivity to other cities and the challenge that we’re having with flight cancellations and the cost of flying here to the ACT.
Stynes:
Just very quickly, speaking of national institutions I need to put this to you because David Pocock has made a number of comments which is being levelled at you and others as well. I’m just going to put this to you.
[Excerpt]
David Pocock:
The committee chair, Marielle Smith – she’s a Labor Senator for South Australia, did great work yesterday, was clearly moved and appalled. And given it’s his own national university, I’d love to hear ACT Labor representatives actually talking about what’s happening at the ANU and pushing for change.
[End of excerpt]
Stynes:
He’s saying that Labor representatives like yourself aren’t doing enough federally when it comes to ANU. Do you accept that or not?
Leigh:
No, I don’t at all. We’ve been engaging directly with Jason Clare, the minister on this. Everything David Pocock does is out in the public. Everything we do is focused on getting the very best outcome for Canberrans and for the ANU.
Stynes:
But isn’t that part of it though? What he’s doing is trying to shine a light, and it does appear that – like yourself and also Katy Gallagher has been quieter. You’re saying you’re doing it behind the scenes, but it’s quiet?
Leigh:
Look, our goal is to try and get the very best outcomes. That won’t always happen by shouting from the rooftops. We know in the case of the allegations that have been raised, Jason Clare has said that TEQSA, the university regulator is investigating the matter and is in the process of engaging an independent expert to review key concerns as part of its compliance assessment of ANU. So, we engage directly with the minister because we believe that that’s the very best way of getting things done.
Stynes:
I imagine though, that David Pocock’s not the only person who’s calling this office. He talks about people calling. Surely they’re calling your office too. You’ve been in this position for a while. Do you have concerns?
Leigh:
Look, I’m a former ANU professor. Of course I’ve had a bevy of conversations around this, but I engage constructively through the minister, as do my federal colleagues, Alicia, Dave and Katy. We do that in the interest of ANU, an institution which is just so critical to the lifeblood of this city, intellectually in terms of the students it brings and in terms of its impact on the national conversation.
ANU will have more people at the Economic Reform Roundtable that Treasurer Chalmers will run next week than any other university in the country. And that’s really a marker of its strength in the national policy conversation.
Stynes:
Do you think though, it warrants investigation? Do you think what’s happening now, what Jason Clare is doing and what’s been called for by David Pocock, do you think it warrants at least an investigation?
Leigh:
It does, and it is being investigated by the university regulator.
Stynes:
Thank you so much for your time, I appreciate it.
Leigh:
Thanks Georgia.
Stynes:
Thank you. That’s Dr Andrew Leigh there, federal Member for Fenner.