NEXT PUBLIC EVENT
PAST PUBLIC EVENTS
A BIG DIALOGUE
How to Fix Democracy?
22 NOV 2021, THE PRINCESS THEATRE, WOOLLOONGABBA
MODERATOR
Author and Communications Professional and
former Editor-in-Chief of Queensland Newspapers
SPEAKER
State Secretary of the Queensland Labor Party, former lawyer and trade unionist
Journalism and Communications Professional, former Executive Producer Sunrise News, Ch 7 Reporter and Producer
Strategist, Tech MD, hands-on arts supporter, aspiring candidate for the US Senate
SPEAKER
Professor of Public Policy and Law in the School of Government & International Relations, Griffith University and Board Member of Transparency International
Senior Lecturer in the School of Political Science and International Studies, University of Queensland
Most people agree that democracy in Australia and elsewhere has serious challenges and flaws, which must be faced if we are not to drift, or be forced, into worse alternatives. The Brisbane Dialogues, in collaboration with newDemocracy Foundation, is pleased to present a Big Dialogue to refresh and update thinking on the biggest and oldest question society has always faced - how best to govern ourselves?
"Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time ..."
Winston Churchill, 1947
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This Big Dialogue will attempt to identify what the biggest problems are and what can be done about them. As always, we will have a small number of panelists with widely-differing perspectives to facilitate an in-depth, long-form discussion, in a congenial, conducive setting. The discussion will be moderated to keep it focussed on a limited number of themes or topics.
BIG DIALOGUE
Climate Change: What Can We Agree On?
26 JUL 2021, THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE
MODERATOR
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
President, Queensland Academy of Arts & Sciences
Queensland Chief Scientist
CEO, CleanCo Queensland
Chair, Infrastructure Australia, Queensland Ballet
Executive Director
Australian Institute for Progress
There is much that people will never agree on about climate change, like what to even call it, but what might we agree to do about it anyway? Is there anything that alarmists and denialists could agree on? If not, what about mainstream climate activists and skeptics?
Some activists share concerns about the impact on economic development and equity and some sceptics are concerned that there are unknown climate risks to be managed. There might be much to agree about, but what?
BIG DIALOGUE
The China-Australia Relationship
16 NOVEMBER 2020, THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE
MODERATOR
Associate Professor of International Relations, UQ
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Host on ABC Radio National
SPEAKER
Partnerships Director at China Policy
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Brisbane representative for Australia China Business News
SPEAKER
Associate Professor of International Relations, UQ
SPEAKER
Researcher/Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Cyber Policy Centre
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Former journalist for the ABC and New York Times
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MC
Chairman of med-tech company 61medical
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Former state minister for Science, IT, Innovation and the Arts
BIG DIALOGUE
Could Universal Basic Income Work in Australia?
20 JUL 2020, THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE
MODERATOR
Bob McDonald
MC
Kayci Gillies
VIDEO INTRO
Simon Cowan
Business journalist, InQueensland
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SPEAKER
Gigi Foster
Actress and university student
SPEAKER
Greg Marston
Research Director at Centre for Independent Studies
SPEAKER
John Humphreys
Universal Basic Income.
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It's an idea whose time has come to many; anathema to many others. Government responses to the pandemic have heightened interest in the subject.
The concept of universal basic income (UBI) or variations appeal to people at various points on the political spectrum, but could an income support scheme possibly be universal, adequate to live on and affordable? Or is it a utopian distraction from the hard policy graft of allocating scarce tax dollars to those most in need? Alternatively, are there elements of UBI which could usefully guide post-pandemic welfare reform?
Professor of Economics at University of NSW
​
Deputy Executive Dean
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Economics Lecturer at University of the Sunshine Coast and University of Queensland
LAUNCH DEBATE
Postmodernism: A Right Wing Philosophy?
9 MAR 2020, CUSTOMS HOUSE, BRISBANE
MC
Christine Jackman
VIDEO INTRO
Hon John Anderson AO FTSE
SPEAKER
Hon Rachel Nolan
SPEAKER
John Quiggin
SPEAKER
​Prof Stephen Hicks
What's the problem?
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Polarisation and toxic discourse - old-fashioned intolerance and incivility on 21st century steroids - should be everyone’s concern. It’s not just in the public arena and not just online, they are seeping through everywhere, affecting day-to-day life and making it near-impossible to have productive discussions about the enormous challenges - and opportunities - facing humanity. This debate explored part of the philosophical background of the central concerns of The Brisbane Dialogues.
Author and journalist
Former State Labor minister
and MP for Ipswich
Australian democratic socialist economist
Canadian-American libertarian philosopher
Former Deputy Prime Minister and host, "Conversations with John Anderson"
PAST PRIVATE EVENTS
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
TUE 10 MAY 2022
Anthony Bishop, on Child Safety
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
TUE 12 APR 2022
Dr Cameron Murray, The University of Sydney, on The Singapore Housing Model - what Australia could learn
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
TUE 1 MAR 2022
Wesley Aird, Director at the Centre for Indigenous Policy; General Manager at the Aboriginal Centre for Performing Arts, Director at Blaque Digital on Aboriginality.
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
TUE 8 FEB 2022
Gigi Foster, Professor of economics at UNSW and co-host of ABC Radio National series The Economists, on The Great Covid Panic: What Happened, Why, And What To Do Next (her co-authored book, available on Amazon).
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
TUE 7 DEC 2021
End of Year Get Together
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
TUE 2 NOV 2021
John Quiggin, Professor in Economics and VC Senior Fellow in Economics at the University of Queensland, on the Costs of Covid, from his book due May 2022, Covid and the Future (pre-order on Amazon).
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
TUE 5 OCT 2021
Graham Young, Director, Australian Institute for Progress, on Olympics 2032: Going For Broke?
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
TUE 7 SEP 2021
Kath Gelber, Head of the School of Political Science and International Studies, and Professor of Politics and Public Policy of the University of Queensland, on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech.
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
3 AUG 2021
Hugh Breakey, Senior Research Fellow in moral philosophy at Griffith University, on The Social Licence To Operate.
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
6 JUL 2021
Thom Cameron, Hydrogen and Chemicals Technology Director at Aurecon, on Hydrogen's Role in Decarbonising the Economy.
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
1 JUN 2021
Bill von Hippel, Professor of psychology, University of Queensland, on The Evolution of Sex Differences, Feminism and Scientific Censorship.
FIRST TUESDAY CLUB
4 MAY 2021
Gene Tunny, Principal of Adept Economics and author of Queensland Economy Watch, on What does does decarbonisation really mean for Australia?