Dr Peter Abelson
Peter Abelson has a B.A. from Oxford University, M.Sc. (Economics) from the London School of Economics, and a Ph.D from London University.
Peter has over 40 years of consulting experience in Australia and overseas, specializing in public economics and cost-benefit analysis. He runs regular cost-benefit analysis training courses for public servants. His recent work in Australia includes reviews of major transport projects, evaluation of public health programs and hospitals, education and justice programs, planning for the environment, and analyses of housing prices and policies.
He has worked for international agencies in many countries including China, India, Thailand, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Zambia, Bolivia and Papua New Guinea.
From 2001 to 2005, Peter held a Personal Chair in Economics at Macquarie University. From 2006 to 2012, Peter was a Visiting Scholar and taught public finance at the University of Sydney.
Peter is the author of Public Economics, the leading Australian text in public finance and the role of government in the economy. The 4th Edition is available on this website (3rd Edition 2012, published by McGraw-Hill).
Since 2006, Peter has been an ongoing part-time economic advisor to the NSW Treasury. From 2012 to 2017, he was the first popularly elected Mayor of Mosman Council (Sydney).
Dr Glenn Withers
Glenn Withers has a B.Ec. (First Honours) from Monash, and a Masters and Doctorate in Business Economics from Harvard University, where he was a Menzies Scholar, Frank Knox Fellow, and Fulbright Scholar and taught in the Economics Department and the Kennedy School of Government. He is an experienced public and private sector adviser and consultant, having consulted for agencies ranging from the OECD to the Business Council of Australia. He has worked as an international consultant ranging from USA, Canada, Indonesia and China to Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Bhutan. In Australia, he has chaired five major government inquiries (immigration, infrastructure, population, microeconomic reform, workforce policies and programs). Glenn was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for developing Australia’s immigration points system, and was Head of the Economic Planning Advisory Council, reporting to the Prime Minister of Australia. Glenn then helped to establish the Productivity Commission, the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, the Crawford School of Public Policy and Universities Australia. Glenn is currently Distinguished Honorary Professor of Economics at ANU, and Adjunct Professor in Cybersecurity at UNSW Canberra. He is a Past President of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the Australian Council of Learned Academies, and current co-Chair of the Social Cyber Group, Chair of Blended Learning International, and Chair of the World Bank’s Global Development Learning Network.
Mr Tim Dalton
Tim Dalton has a Master of Economics (UNSW), Bachelor of Science (Physics) and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons 1st Class) (University of Sydney). Tim is an expert in economic regulation, corporate finance and macroeconomic policy analysis. He has worked on a variety of consultancies including policy formulation, industry reviews, cost benefit analysis, the social discount rate, and given expert testimony for government agencies and private sector clients. In addition to economic consulting, Tim has over 10 years professional experience as an investment banker and as a corporate lawyer.