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Economic and Political Overview 2010

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Hard copies will be provided to attendees during the EPO nationwide event series.

This 2010 edition of CEDA's economic and political overview (EPO) introduces CEDA's 50^th year. The EPO publication and the accompanying conferences in all capital cities have a thirty year history - comprising a remarkable catalogue of Australia's economic and political development.

Economic overview

By Alan Oster, Chief Economist and Ben Westmore, Economist, NAB Group

Respected NAB economists, Alan Oster and Ben Westmore, analyse the economic downturn and gradual recovery. Their outlook for 2010 is for the continuation of a 'moderate and disparate' upturn in activity over the next few years, with global GDP forecast to grow by 3.2 per cent in 2010 rising to 3.5 per cent in 2011.

For Australia, they expect GDP growth to rise to 2.75 per cent in 2010 with fragile consumer and business confidence, and household and business deleveraging impeding recovery. They caution that the challenge globally will be winding back stimulus spending once recovery is well entrenched.

Political overview

By Kenneth Wiltshire, JD Story Professor of Public Administration, University of Queensland Business School

Professor Kenneth Wiltshire reviews the Rudd government's performance along with the Opposition leadership turmoil in 2009. In this election year, Wiltshire interprets the polls and identifies the key 2010 political and policy issues. In his view, the significant looming political events for the year include climate change, reviews on tax and superannuation, border protection, Chinese trade relations, federal spending and the necessity of likely cutbacks.

The crash of 2008 and the challenges ahead

By Peter Jonson, Founder, Henry Thornton.com

Peter Jonson, prominent company director and founder and editor of Henrythornton.com, delivers a feature report on macro-economic performance, central banking and the global financial crisis (GFC). Jonson traces the root causes of the GFC, the warning signals we failed to heed and critiques the policy response to the crisis.  Bold tax reform, wise investing and entrepreneurial flair will be required in Australia. His outlook is that of a guarded optimist - Wall Street and Main Street having been given the kind of scare that should encourage responsible behaviour over the next decade or two. 

The next ten years: Why it is sound economic governance - not ideology that counts 

By Michael Porter, Director, CEDA Research

CEDA Research Director, Dr Michael Porter mounts the case for a return to the path of rigorous policy reform that has been effectively endorsed by both sides of politics over the previous 30 years and enabled Australia to successfully withstand recent external economic shocks. In a rebuttal of the Prime Minister's diagnosis of the 'failings' of the 'neo-liberal economic orthodoxy', Porter describes labels such as 'neo-liberal',' left', 'right', and 'conservative' as concealing rather than revealing substance.  It is sound economic governance that counts.

CEDA at fifty - the EPO at thirty

By Professor Ian Marsh, Research Fellow, CEDA

In CEDA's 50th year this essay looks at the history of the Economic and Political Overview publication and delivers and insightful audit of three eventful decades

Find out about the dates and expert speakers at the EPO in your state.