With the South Australian election approaching, public debate often centres on promises and personalities. This webinar steps back to examine the systems shaping outcomes — including economic structure, labour markets, migration policy, and the pressures facing households.

Hosted by Stand Up Now Australia as part of our SA Election 2026 public information series, this discussion brings together three voices from economics, law, and public policy to explore how current settings affect South Australians — and what questions voters should be asking ahead of election day. The conversation also considers whether South Australia reflects, in micro, the broader macro trends shaping Australian politics.

Rather than promoting parties or candidates, the conversation will focus on long-term policy direction, structural challenges, and the broader framework within which decisions are made.

Topics for discussion include:

• Economic design and cost-of-living pressures
• Migration settings and labour market impacts
• Institutional performance and accountability
• The role of academic freedom and public debate in shaping policy

Speakers:

Michael Arbon — policy analyst and commentator on economic structure and governance
Professor Gigi Foster — economist specialising in behavioural economics and public policy
Professor Joanna Howe — Professor of Law and immigration specialist at the University of Adelaide

This webinar forms part of Stand Up Now Australia’s effort to provide voters with deeper context and analysis ahead of the SA election.

SPEAKER BIOS

Michael Arbon

Michael Arbon is a South Australian businessman, family man, and policy commentator with a background in business and financial markets. Holding a Graduate Certificate in Business, he brings a practical and systems-focused perspective to discussions around economic structure, governance, and institutional accountability.

Drawing on his experience in business and community life, Arbon contributes to public conversations about economic sustainability, regulatory settings, and the long-term direction of public policy. His commentary frequently examines the structural drivers behind cost-of-living pressures, migration policy, housing availability, and the broader policy environment shaping outcomes for South Australians.

He has also served as an adviser to Senator Ralph Babet, contributing to policy discussions relating to economic governance and regulatory frameworks. Through his engagement in public debate and policy forums, Arbon aims to encourage deeper consideration of how economic settings, government decisions, and institutional structures influence outcomes for businesses, families, and communities.

Professor Gigi Foster

Professor Gigi Foster is a Professor with the School of Economics at the University of New South Wales, having joined UNSW in 2009 after six years at the University of South Australia. Formally educated at Yale University (BA in Ethics, Politics, and Economics) and the University of Maryland (PhD in Economics), she works in diverse fields including education, social influence, corruption, lab experiments, time use, behavioural economics, and Australian policy. Her research contributions regularly inform public debates and appear in both specialised and cross-disciplinary outlets (e.g., Quantitative Economics, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Journal of Population Economics, Journal of Economic Psychology, Human Relations). Her teaching, featuring strategic innovation and integration with research, was awarded a 2017 Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Named 2019 Young Economist of the Year by the Economic Society of Australia, Professor Foster has filled numerous roles of service to the profession and engages heavily on economic matters with the Australian community.

Professor Joanna Howe

Professor Joanna Howe is a South Australian legal academic and immigration law specialist, currently serving as a Professor of Law at the University of Adelaide. A Rhodes Scholar, she completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Law at the University of Oxford and has built her academic career around labour law, migration policy, and the regulation of temporary work programs.

Her research focuses on temporary labour migration and the intersection between immigration policy and employment standards. She has led research into labour exploitation in Australia’s horticulture sector, contributed to International Labour Organization discussions on migration frameworks, and was appointed to a federal inquiry into Australia’s immigration system, with the 2023 report calling for significant reform and warning against the growth of “permanently temporary” migration pathways.

Alongside her academic work, Prof Howe has been involved in public debates on academic freedom and university governance, including Fair Work Commission proceedings in 2024 relating to complaints about her research and public commentary on issues such as abortion and prostitution.

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Contact the host of SA Election 2026: Understand Your State Election Before You Vote