The Assistant Treasurer, Bill Shorten, is pleased to announce the reappointment of Mr Michael Woods as a full-time Commissioner and Deputy Chairman of the Productivity Commission for a further five-year period.
Mr Woods has been a Commissioner since 1998 and Deputy Chairman since 2008. In that period he has undertaken many inquiries, including as Presiding Commissioner, and has also played a lead role in the conduct of a range of research studies commissioned by the government.
His reappointment will provide continuity and stability in the role of Deputy Chairman, and for the projects on which he is currently engaged – the Caring for Older Australians inquiry and the Education and Training Workforce study.
The Commission is the Australian Government's principal advisory body on microeconomic policy and regulation. The Commission's work covers all sectors of the economy. It extends to the public and private sectors and focuses on areas of Australian Government as well as State and Territory responsibility. The Commission is an independent authority established under the Productivity Commission Act 1998.
The Commission's advice to government and the information on which it is based are open to public scrutiny. The Commission is required to take a broad view, encompassing the interests of the community and economy as a whole.