Economic Reform Roundtable must listen to Henry

July 28, 2025

Thank you for publishing Ken Henry’s address to the National Press Club. It was a privilege to read it. Henry’s ability to explain how productivity and a sound economy depends on a healthy natural environment and a safe climate is unsurpassed. One sentence summed it up nicely: “Independent reviews confirm that the environmental impact assessment systems embedded in the [nature] laws are not fit-for-purpose. Of particular concern, they are incapable of supporting an economy in transition to net zero and they are undermining productivity.”

It is pleasing to see that Henry has been invited to the Economic Reform Roundtable in August. But sadly, nature laws are not one of the five pillars. Pillar 2, Investing in the net zero transformation, is critically important but it is a subset of the environmental and climate-related challenges this country faces.

Sadly, it seems Henry, and possibly Allegra Spender, will be lone voices for nature. Business groups will dominate. The Australian Conservation Foundation remains uninvited.

As David Attenborough has said, “… real success can only come if there is a change in our societies and in our economics and in our politics.” Let’s hope the Roundtable is listening.