Australia's Open Investment Future Symposium

Economics & Deregulation / Trade & IP Unit / Australia's Open Investment Future Symposium

A symposium on how Australia can attract investment to drive economic growth.

To download the event program click here

Session 1: Foreign investment and Australia

Julie Novak, Research Fellow, Institute of Public Affairs

Australia's attractiveness as a destination for foreign capital

Jeff Rae, Economic Consultant, ITS Global

Counting the cost of regulation

Martin Feil, Former Director of the Industries Assistance Commission

The need for oversight and the Foreign Investment Review Board

Session 2: Current regulatory environment

Mark Thirlwell, Program Director, International Economy, Lowy Institute for International Policy

Is the Foreign Investment Review Board acting fairly?

Kristen Bondietti, Australian APEC Study Centre, Monash University

Inconsistencies in treatment of foreign investment in trade agreements

Tom Switzer, former Opinion Page Editor, The Australian newspaper

Australian attitudes to foreign investment

Lunchtime session: Panel discussion with International perspectives

Walter Russell Mead, US Council on Foreign Relations

Edgard Kagan, Economic Counsellor, United States Embassy Canberra

Yongpu Wang, Economic Counsellor, Chinese Consulate Melbourne

Deepak Saxena, Managing Director, Riverina Oils & Bio Energy

Session 3: Foreign investment motivations

Sinclair Davidson, Professor of Institutional Economics, RMIT University

Do sovereign wealth funds make economic or political decisions

Tony Makin, Professor of Economics, Griffith University

Capital xenophobia and the national interest

Tim Wilson, Director, IP and Free Trade Unit, Institute of Public Affairs

Acquisitions as a mechanism for technology transfer

Session 4: Opportunity from reform

Panel discussion: Rod Kemp, Former Assistant Treasurer of Australia

Stephen Deady, Director, Industry, Economics & Taxation, Minerals Council

Peter Gallagher, Managing Director, Inquit Communications

Marc Moncrief, State Economics Editor, The Age

Martin Feil, Former Director of the Industries Assistance Commission

Concluding session

Tim Wilson, Director, IP and Free Trade Unit, Institute of Public Affairs

Return to Trade & IP Unit

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Australia as a destination for foreign capital

OCCASIONAL PAPER | Julie Novak

The current international economic uncertainty provides Australia with challenges and opportunities. Amidst this uncertainty, Australia's inherent advantages should allow it to market itself as a ‘safe haven' investment destination capable...