2026 Joan Kirner Social Justice Oration
Date: 21 Oct 2026
The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh, Member for Fenner and Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition and Treasury, overseeing the ACNC and charities sector, will be delivering the 2026 Joan Kirner Social Justice Oration.
Andrew Leigh is the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, and Federal Member for Fenner in the ACT. Prior to being elected in 2010, Andrew was a professor of economics at the Australian National University. He holds a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard, having graduated from the University of Sydney with first class honours in Arts and Law. Andrew is a past recipient of the Economic Society of Australia's Young Economist Award and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences.
His books include Disconnected (2010), Battlers and Billionaires: The Story of Inequality in Australia (2013), The Economics of Just About Everything (2014), The Luck of Politics (2015), Choosing Openness: Why Global Engagement is Best for Australia (2017), Randomistas: How Radical Researchers Changed Our World (2018), Innovation + Equality: How to Create a Future That Is More Star Trek Than Terminator (with Joshua Gans) (2019), Reconnected: A Community Builder's Handbook (with Nick Terrell) (2020), What's the Worst That Could Happen? Existential Risk and Extreme Politics (2021), Fair Game: Lessons From Sport for a Fairer Society and a Stronger Economy (2022), The Shortest History of Economics (2024), Battlers and Billionaires: The Updated Story of Inequality in Australia (2024) and The Shortest History of Innovation (2026).
Andrew is a keen Ironman triathlete and marathon runner, and hosts a podcast called The Good Life: Andrew Leigh in Conversation, about living a happier, healthier and more ethical life. Andrew is the father of three sons - Sebastian, Theodore and Zachary, and lives with his wife Gweneth in Canberra. He has been a member of the Australian Labor Party since 1991.
The 2026 Joan Kirner Social Justice Oration will be streamed live and free at 6.15pm AEDT on Wednesday, 21 October.
About Joan Kirner AC
Courageous, ceaseless, clever, compassionate - over many years, and in many theatres, The Hon. Joan Kirner AC fought for community, equality and social justice.
Joan was perhaps best known for her work as the front-woman for the grassroots campaign for educational reform in Victoria in the 1970s, and later as that state's first female Premier. She was also prominent in the nation-changing struggles for social inclusion, women's equality, environmental protection, and community-driven community development.
Having played an integral role in the development of the social fabric of Australia, Joan remained to her final days an enduring community activist and champion for the forgotten and the downtrodden.
Previous Speakers to Deliver the Joan Kirner Oration
2025 Ray Martin AM
2024 Tanya Plibersek
2023 Craig Foster AM
2022 The Honourable Nicola Roxon
2021 Senator the Honourable Penny Wong
2020 Paul Bongiorno AM
2019 Professor Helen Milroy AM
2018 Professor Gillian Triggs AC
2017 Andrew Denton
2016 Waleed Aly
2015 Lieutenant Colonel Major Dan Mori
2014 The Honourable Julia Gillard AC
2013 Hugh de Kretser
2012 The Honourable Joan Kirner AC
2011 Sharan Burrow AC