30 November 2016

Australian Statistics Advisory Council Chairperson appointed

Small Business Minister Michael McCormack today announced the appointment of Professor Gary Banks AO as the part-time Chairperson and member of the Australian Statistics Advisory Council (ASAC) for a five-year term.

ASAC is established under the authority of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Act 1975 to advise the responsible Minister and the Australian Statistician on current and longer-term statistical issues and priorities.

Mr McCormack said Professor Banks takes the helm of ASAC with impressive experience in Government and private sector advisory roles.

“Professor Banks is Chief Executive and Dean of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government and was Chairman of the Productivity Commission from its inception in 1998 until 2013,” Mr McCormack said.

“He is also currently the Chairman of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Regulatory Policy Committee, an independent director of the Macquarie Group and was a member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council.

“Professor Banks also chaired the Council of Australian Governments’ Steering Committee for the Review of Government Services and was the initial convener for the Review’s Working Group on Indigenous Disadvantage.

“He worked at the Centre for International Economics in Canberra and has been a consultant to the OECD, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation. He was previously a senior economist with the General Agreement on Tarrifs and Trade Secretariat in Geneva and a visiting fellow at the Trade Policy Research Centre in London.

“I congratulate Professor Banks on his appointment and look forward to him making a significant contribution to the important work of ASAC.

“I would also like to thank the outgoing Chairperson of ASAC, Mr Geoff Allen AM.

“Geoff has been the Chairperson for the past 10 years and has made a valuable and lasting contribution to Australia’s statistical system and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.”

Professor Banks’ appointment is effective from 28 February 2017.