A Beginning, Not an End: Why Tax Reform Can’t Stop Here

We are delighted to invite you to the public lecture in honour of Henry George 2026 on Tuesday, 17th November. This event will continue the series of lectures organised by the Department of Economics at Macquarie University with assistance from the F.J. Walsh Bequest. This year’s lecture will be delivered by Allegra Spender MP. Allegra Spender is the Federal Member for Wentworth. She's committed to building a smarter economy, a kinder community, and stronger climate action. Allegra studied economics at Cambridge, with further studies at the University of London, Harvard, and Dartmouth. Before politics, Allegra worked across business, government, and not-for-profits, including at McKinsey, the UK Treasury, and as Managing Director of Carla Zampatti Pty Ltd. She also chaired the Sydney Renewable Power Company and led the Australian Business and Community Network. In 2026, Allegra and Warringah MP Zali Steggall formed Community Strong, a new party extending the reach of community-led politics across Australia. She continues to champion families, young people, and local businesses in Wentworth and beyond.

BACKGROUND 

Henry George (1839-1897) rose to fame as a social reformer and economist amid the industrial and intellectual turbulence of the late nineteenth century. His best-selling Progress and Poverty (1879) captures the ravages of privileged monopolies and the impacts of industrialization in a language of eloquent indignation. Today we talk of AI and the excesses of economic inequality and dislocation. Effective remedies for the elevated cost of living, housing crisis, periodic recessions, and diminished productivity elude policy makers. Across a wide spectrum of discourse, ideas for reform resonate as powerfully today as they did in the former Gilded Age. A call for a more sustained and systematic look at reform can now be heard in many quarters. 

LECTURE TITLE:

A Beginning, Not an End: Why Tax Reform Can’t Stop Here.

DATE:

Tuesday, 17th November at 5.15 pm – 6:45 pm (formalities to commence at 5:30 pm). Light refreshments will be served afterward.

PLACE:

Macquarie University City Campus, Room 2408, Level 24, 123 Pitt Street, Sydney, 2000.

REGISTRATION:

Registration is free but seats are limited. Please RSVP by Sunday 15th of November via Humanitix.