From: Tuesday August 18, 2026, 12:30 pm
To: Tuesday August 18, 2026, 1:30 pm
NSW Treasury and the Economic Society of Australia are pleased to invite you to a Distinguished Speaker seminar on ‘Unravelling inequality in Australia: Facts, explanations and policies’, with Dr Peter Abelson, Visiting Fellow at the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, ANU, and Honorary Professor at Macquarie University.
This presentation will explore how income and wealth inequality in Australia has evolved over the 21st century, with a focus on what the evidence reveals about household living standards, poverty and intergenerational equity.
Drawing on Australian data and international comparisons, Dr Abelson will examine the distribution of market and disposable income, household wealth, gender differences, outcomes for Indigenous Australians and migrants, and the widening divide between generations.
The session will also consider less visible sources of inequality, including unreported income from the non-observed economy and the implications of concealed, illegal and tax-exempt activity. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of the key drivers of inequality in Australia, how these trends intersect with broader welfare factors such as health and the environment, and the policy options available to address income and wealth disparities.
Date: Tuesday 18 August
Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Venue: NSW Treasury – Level 21, 52 Martin Place, Sydney (street entrance via 127 Phillip Street)
Please bring photo ID and arrive at 12:15pm to allow time for check-in at the ground floor Concierge.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from one of Australia’s most experienced economic thinkers. This event is free to attend for members and $10 for non-members. Registration is essential.
Dr Peter Abelson has a BA from Oxford University, an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics, and a PhD from London University. He has more than 60 years of consulting experience in Australia and overseas, specialising in public economics and cost-benefit analysis. His recent work in Australia includes reviews of major transport projects, evaluations of public health programs and hospitals, education and justice programs, environmental planning, and analysis of housing prices and policies.
Peter has worked for international agencies in countries including China, India, Thailand, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Zambia, Bolivia and Papua New Guinea. From 2001 to 2005, he held a Personal Chair in Economics at Macquarie University, and from 2006 to 2012 he was a Visiting Scholar and taught public finance at the University of Sydney.
Peter is the author of Public Economics, the leading Australian text in public finance and the role of government in the economy. Since 2006, he has been an ongoing part-time economic adviser to NSW Treasury, and from 2012 to 2017 he served as the first popularly elected Mayor of Mosman Council.
NSW Treasury
Level 21, 52 Martin Place, , Sydney NSW 2000