You are invited to the Sydney launch of Ross Gittins Memoirs: A Life Among Budgets, Bulldust and Bastardry (Allen & Unwin, May 2015) and ESA Panel on Economics in the Media and Schools.  This event is sponsored by the Economic Society of Australia and Parramatta City Council. For 40 years Ross Gittins has had a ringside seat as the Australian economy has gone through radical change. He’s covered 40 budgets and16 elections and watched 13 treasurers and eight prime ministers wrestle with boom and recession, debts and deficits. Ross is the Economics Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and an Economic Columnist for The Age. He is a winner of the Citibank Pan Asia award for excellence in financial journalism and has been a Nuffield Press fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge, and a journalist-in-residence at the Department of Economics at the University of Melbourne. Ross is frequently called upon to comment on the economic issues of the day and has written and contributed to many books and periodicals. His most recent books are Gittins’ Gospel, Gittinomics and The Happy Economist. The book will be launched by Blair Comley, Secretary of the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet. Previously Blair was Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, Secretary of the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Previously, Blair held a range of senior positions in the Treasury and represented Australia for three years on economic matters at the OECD. Blair previously worked on competition policy, environment policy and welfare reform. Before joining the Treasury, Blair worked at the Industry Commission and was a lecturer in the Department of Economics at Monash University. Blair holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) and a Master of Economics from Monash University and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies from the Australian National University. Copies of the book will be available for purchasing and signing. PROGRAM

• 12.00 Refreshments
• 12.20 Welcome by Paul Oslington, Vice President (Academic) Economic Society of Australia NSW.
• 12.25 Welcome by Parramatta City Council
• 12.30 Launch by Blair Comley, Secretary NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet. and response by Ross Gittins
• 1.00 Refreshments
• 1.30-2.30 Panel on Economics in the Media and Schools
  • Chair - Paul Oslington
  • Ross Gittins - Sydney Morning Herald.
  • Prof John Lodewijks - UNSW
  • Dr Tony Stokes - ACU
  • Dr Christiane Gerblinger – Commonwealth Treasury

(Note that speakers are not representing their employers and views expressed are personal and should not be attributed to their employers) There is no charge for this event.