Treasurer the Hon. Scott Morrison, today announced that he has appointed Mr Richard Spencer as a part-time Commissioner of the Productivity Commission for a five-year period.
The Productivity Commission is an independent authority established under the Productivity Commission Act 1998 and is the Australian Government’s principal advisory body on microeconomic policy and regulation. The Commission’s work covers all sectors of the economy and focuses on areas of Australian Government as well as State and Territory responsibility.
Mr Spencer will fill the specialist role on the Commission requiring social policy expertise. He will assist with the second stage of the Commission’s Human Services inquiry.
The inquiry, a recommendation of the Harper Competition Policy Review, will examine how we can improve outcomes, service quality and user choice for all Australians.
Mr Spencer has over 25 years leadership experience in social service delivery, working in various Chief Executive Officer (CEO) roles in the not-for-profit sector across community services, disability services and cross-cultural education.
He was the CEO of the Benevolent Society from 2004 to 2011. He was also CEO of Cerebral Palsy Alliance (1998-2000) and President and CEO of AFS Intercultural Programs in New York (1992-1998) and he has served on a number of boards, including as a Director of Social Ventures Australia. Mr Spencer also has extensive experience in business and the legal profession.
I congratulate Mr Spencer on his appointment and look forward to him making a significant contribution to the important work of the Commission.