Andrew Podger

Andrew Podger is honorary Professor of Public Policy at The Australian National University, and former Australian Public Service Commissioner and Secretary of the Departments of Health and Aged Care, Housing and Regional Development, and Administrative Services. He was national president of the Institute of Public Administration Australia from 2004 to 2010, and a member of the foundation board of the Australian and New Zealand School of Government. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2004, and has written extensively on social policy including health financing, retirement incomes and tax and social security, and on public administration.


  • Albanese’s Proposal Doesn’t Fix Bracket Creep at the Bottom End, More Work Is Still Needed, 05 Feb 2024
  • Budget Forum 2023: Stage 3 Tax Cuts and JobSeeker – A Slightly Different View, 18 May 2023
  • Is Australia’s Retirement Income System Delivering on Its Potential?, 16 Apr 2021
  • [Budget Forum 2020] Getting Coherence into the Equity Debate – Part 3, 20 Oct 2020
  • [Budget Forum 2020] Getting Coherence into the Equity Debate – Part 2, 19 Oct 2020
  • [Budget Forum 2020] Getting Coherence into the Equity Debate – Part 1, 18 Oct 2020
  • Retirement Income Review: Focus More on Secure Retirement Income Streams, and Settle the Adequacy Debate, 01 Apr 2020
  • Grattan Institute Attacks the Wrong Target – Pension Assets Test Is the Problem, 05 Aug 2019
  • No Case for Tightening the Age Pension Means Test: A Response to Michael Keane’s Analysis, 26 Jul 2019
  • More Carefully Designed, a Stage Three Tax Measure Could Be a Responsible and Genuine Reform, 26 Jun 2019
  • Budget Forum 2018: This is not a Genuine or Equitable Way to Simplify the Personal Income Tax System, 22 May 2018
  • Completing the Reform Journey to Adequate, Secure And Sustainable Retirement Incomes for All Australians, 01 Nov 2016