The productivity imperative

Summary

Productivity has emerged as a national policy priority against a backdrop of elevated inflation and poor housing affordability.

Why is productivity important and what role do productivity commissions play in identifying potential policy responses?

We will be joined by Dr Karen Hooper, Commissioner at the Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC), who will discuss the productivity imperative, the role of the QPC and the importance of evidence-based policy advice in identifying opportunities to lift the economy's productivity performance.

Learning Outcomes:

By attending this session, participants will understand the role of productivity policy and evidence-based reform in addressing key economic challenges and improving long-term economic performance.

Speaker

Take a look at our speaker scheduled for this event.

Dr Karen Hooper

Commissioner

B.Econ (Hons), Ph.D, GAICD

Karen was appointed as a QPC Commissioner in April 2025. Karen brings to the role extensive public policy, leadership, governance and stakeholder engagement experience gained from senior management positions across the Queensland and Australian public sectors and through advisory and non-executive director roles in the university and not-for-profit sectors. Karen holds a Bachelor of Economics (First Class Honours) and a PhD in Economics and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian and New Zealand School of Government Executive Fellows Program.

Prior to re-joining the QPC, Karen was Head of Productivity in Queensland Treasury providing research, policy analysis and regulatory advice across a range of contemporary issues including housing and national competition policy. Before joining Treasury in 2021, she was the former Chair and Principal Commissioner of the Queensland Productivity Commission, where she led the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Market in Queensland.

Karen has spent much of her career at the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) where she led the Bank’s Queensland Office and international finance function, involving engagement with multilateral institutions including the G20 and International Monetary Fund. Through her leadership of the RBA’s liaison program in Queensland, Karen specialised in the tourism, education and resource sectors and advised on the economic impact of supply-side disruptions and regulatory changes affecting Australia’s key export sectors.

Karen is a strong advocate for the role economics can play in helping to deliver improved community outcomes. Karen currently serves on the Institute of Public Administration Australia Council (Queensland) and The University of Queensland’s School of Economics Advisory Board.

She is also active in promoting economic literacy and career pathways in economics through her role as an advisor to the Queensland Economics Teachers’ Association, membership of The Economic Society of Australia (Queensland) and Women in Economics Network and support of mentoring programmes.

Fees

Below is all of the pricing information for the event. 

AUD pricing is inclusive of GST. 

Member fee: $20.00 AUD

Non-Member fee: $30.00 AUD

Venue / Location