Luke Yeaman

Responsibility for providing advice to the Government on a wide range of matters relating to the performance of the Australian economy and Australia’s international economic engagement, including through the G20. He is a member of the Executive Board.

Deputy Secretary (SESB3), Infrastructure Group: leading a Group that advised portfolio ministers on infrastructure policy and priorities, cities policy and also was responsible for oversighting the delivery of major transformational projects such as the Western Sydney Airport and Inland Rail. In addition, I was a member of the Executive Board and chaired the People Committee for the Department. The role involved intensive engagement with state government representatives and industry groups.

Head of the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA): the role included general management oversight during the establishment phase of BETA, including early trial design and delivery, securing ongoing funding, establishing appropriate governance structures and developing networks across Government. First Assistant Secretary (SESB2) Economic Division: leading a Division responsible for advising the Prime Minister on all aspects of economic policy, including taxation, fiscal policy, workplace relations, the macro economy the financial sector and the delivery of up to two Council of Australian Government (COAG) meetings a year.

Chief Economist and Head of Economic Policy: responsible for providing strategic economic and political advice directly to the Prime Minister, including on macroeconomic policy, the fiscal strategy, taxation, financial services, superannuation and foreign investment. This included supporting the Prime Minister in meetings of the Expenditure Review Committee of Cabinet; assisting in the preparation of speeches; and briefing the Prime Minister ahead of public events, media appearances and Question Time. The role also involved working closely with the Treasurer, Finance Minister and a range of other Parliamentarians.

Assistant Secretary (SESB1), Northern Australia White Paper: helping to lead a team tasked with delivering a comprehensive White Paper on the future economic development of Northern Australia. This involved building a strong and capable team; up-front project planning; detailed policy development; stakeholder engagement (within and outside the bureaucracy); and the ability to draft high quality public documents. Assistant Secretary (SESB1), Strategic Policy Division: leading a team responsible for planning and delivering the PM&C Incoming Government Briefings for the 2013 election. This involved creative and strategic thinking; high level project management skills; strong communication and collaboration across the entire Department; and the ability to motivate and manage a team working under sustained pressure. Assistant Secretary (SESB1), Fiscal and Taxation Policy Branch: leading a team responsible for providing advice to Government on the fiscal strategy, budget process and taxation policy. This involved working closely with other areas of PM&C and other Commonwealth departments to assess all new spending and revenue proposals, monitoring emerging fiscal risks and assessing taxation reform options. The role also involved supporting the Expenditure Review Committee of Cabinet as an official note taker. Assistant Secretary (SESB1), Financial, G20 and Global Economy Branch: leading a team responsible for supporting Australia’s engagement in the Group of Twenty (G20). This involved advising the Prime Minister and Australia’s Sherpa on the G20 agenda, developing and prosecuting policies that advanced Australia’s strategic objectives and negotiating with other G20 member countries.

Senior Advisor (EL2), G20 and APEC Secretariat: supported Australia’s hosting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in 2006 and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in 2007. The role involved developing agenda items, including around the impact of demographic change on global financial markets and migration and APEC’s structural reform agenda. The role also involved preparing speeches, presentations and media articles as part of Australia’s outreach strategy. Manager (EL2), Forecasting and Modelling Unit: leading a team responsible for the preparation of the Government’s macroeconomic forecasts, analysis of key domestic and international economic trends, and providing regular briefing to the Treasurer on key economic development.