ANZSOG/ANU Public Lecture Series 2009, Canberra, 4 February. Early versions of this paper were presented to an Australian Public Service Commission ‘Leader-to-Leader’ seminar in October 2008, and as a keynote address to the Annual Conference of the Economics Society inAugust 2008. What exactly does evidence-based policy-making entail? How can it contribute to achieving better policy...

Gambling is a part of Australian life and many people derive enjoyment from it. But a minority of Australians (and their families) suffer considerable anguish and hardship - more akin to the experience with alcohol. A balanced industry and policy environment must therefore take both sides of the equation into account, according to the chair...

• In August 2003, the Treasurer asked the Productivity Commission to conduct a public inquiry into the affordability of housing for first home buyers. • The backdrop: – since 1996, house prices had more than doubled; 80% up in real terms (half of which in previous 3 years) – longest and cumulatively largest price surge...

This is a transcript of an address given by Productivity Commission Chairman, Gary Banks, to the ANZSOG conference, 'Schooling in the 21st Century: Unlocking Human Potential', 28 and 29 September 2005, Sydney.

Gary Banks presented a lecture at the Australian National University as part of the public lecture series of the Australian Centre of Regulatory Economics and the Faculty of Economics and Commerce.