UC EVENTS

Recent media reports paint a disturbing picture of housing affordability in the ACT, particularly for young people and families in rental accommodation or seeking to rent, as well those wishing to enter home ownership. Indeed, by some measures, the ACT rental market appears to be the worst in Australia.

This IGPA Public Lecture will examine the policy context and framework under which housing affordability has deteriorated in Canberra where the Government exercises a much higher level of control over the supply compared to other jurisdictions.

The Seminar is jointly convened by Professorial Fellow Jon Stanhope AO and Adjunct Professor Dr Khalid Ahmed PSM. 

The Panel

DR CARLETON BRUIN CHRISTENSEN studied philosophy in both Australia and Germany. He has taught at various universities including Newcastle, Sydney, Frankfurt, Leipzig and the Australian National University in Canberra. He is now a researcher at the University of New South Wales.

Besides his work on the German philosophy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he has published on the philosophy of technology and sustainability, e.g., “Human Ecology as Philosophy” and “Two Kinds of Economy, Two Kinds of Self—Toward More Manageable, Hence More Sustainable and Just Supply Chains”.

Bruin is keen to build interdisciplinary links to other areas of inquiry relevant to issues of the environment and sustainability. He is also actively engaged in local politics, particularly on urban development and public transport, and is a founding member of the Canberra Planning Action Group, which is seeking to develop a Canberra-wide perspective on, and improvement of, the ACT government’s strategies of urban renewal.

ANNA DENNIS graduated from ANU with Honours in Sociology in 2018. Anna has been engaged in a range of community and social issues as an activist and an advocate. She is on the steering committee of the Refugee Action Campaign, and played significant parts in campaigns for marriage equality and higher education reform. 

This year, Anna worked with Better Renting to lead a community engagement project demonstrating the importance of energy efficiency for renters, who often pay high utility bills and experience health problems living in inefficient homes. She worked with renters in Canberra to make their homes warmer over winter, and continues to advocate for policy changes to alleviate this burden. 

PROFESSORIAL FELLOW JON STANHOPE AO was a member of the ACT Legislative Assembly from 1998 to 2011. He was the Territory’s Chief Minister from 2001 to and 2011, and also held the portfolios of Health, Attorney-General, Municipal Services, Economic Development and Treasury during his tenure. He was Administrator of the Australian Indian Ocean Territories from 2012 to 2014. 

Besides IGPA, Jon is currently engaged with Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Service as an adviser.

This event is free to attend but please RSVP through Eventbrite