Staff

Richard Denniss

email: mail(AT)tai.org.au

Dr Richard Denniss is the Institute’s Executive Director. He is an economist with a particular interest in the role of regulation. Prior to taking up his current position he was an Associate Professor at the Crawford School of Economics and Government at the Australian National University where he continues to hold an adjunct appointment. Richard has also worked as Strategy Adviser to the Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Bob Brown, Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Australian Democrats, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, and lectured in economics at the University of Newcastle.

Richard has published extensively in academic journals, is a frequent contributor to national newspapers and was the co-author of the best selling Affluenza (with Dr Clive Hamilton) and is the co-author of An Introduction to Australian Public Policy: Theory and Practice (with Dr Sarah Maddison).

Serena Rogers

email: serena(AT)tai.org.au

Serena studied communications and politics at the University of Canberra, graduating with a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism). She worked in the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery for Dow Jones Newswires and Channel 9 before joining the office of Senator Natasha Stott Despoja in 2001 as a media adviser. She has worked in the UK for the London Borough of Ealing and the Audit Commission, specialising in local government relations.

Serena is the Institute's Strategic Communications Manager and is the contact person for media enquiries and events.

David Richardson

email: david(AT)tai.org.au

David Richardson studied economics at Flinders University and the University of New England. He has taught economics at UNE and the University of Western Australia. His research interests include macroeconomics and international economics.

In Canberra David worked in the Economics section of the Parliamentary Library briefing MPs and Parliamentary Committees on various economic issues before Parliament. During the Hawke/Keating Governments David worked for Ministers Brian Howe and Senator Nick Bolkus. David brings a solid knowledge and practical understanding of the Australian economy and government.

David is now Senior Research Fellow at the Institute.

Matt Grudnoff

email: matt(AT)tai.org.au

Matt studied at the University of Newcastle graduating with an Economics degree with Honours. He taught economics at the University for many years before moving to Canberra to work for the Australian Bureau of Statistics. He has also worked for the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. His research interests are in climate change policy and its impact on the economy. He also teaches economics with a focus on helping people engage in public debate.

Matt is now Senior Economist at the Institute.

Hilary Bambrick

email: hilary(AT)tai.org.au

Dr Hilary Bambrick is a part-time Research Fellow with the Institute and Senior Lecturer in Population Health at the School of Medicine at the University of Western Sydney. Following completion of her doctorate in Anthropology on Indigenous diabetes, she worked as an epidemiologist at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the ANU.

Hilary has published widely on public health, environment and policy, and recently contributed to the health impacts assessment for the Garnaut Review on climate change.

David Baker

email: davidb(AT)tai.org.au

David is a Research Fellow at the Institute. He has a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) from Latrobe University and was previously a research officer with the Victorian Parliament. His research interests include the social outcomes of government policy and the role and design of policy to improve social equity.

David has also worked as an automotive designer and has a Diploma of Engineering (Swinburne). He returns to the Institute following an internship in 2005.

Kerrie Tucker

email: kerriet(AT)tai.org.au

Kerrie has worked as an environmental and human rights activist since the 1980s. From 1995 to 2004, she represented the ACT Greens for three terms as Member for Molonglo in the ACT Legislative Assembly and has since worked as Executive Officer for ACT Shelter, advocating for the needs of people experiencing homelessness and housing stress. In 2005 and 2006, she was co-chair of Anti-Poverty Week in the ACT and continues to contribute to the community on a voluntary basis through her work as an individual member of the ACT Collaboration.

At the Australia Institute, Kerrie's part-time work involves community liaison. She engages with key policy makers, NGOs and the broader community to update them on the Institute's research findings, to seek their views on policy matters and to work collaboratively with them where possible to enable evidence-based development of public policy.

Ben Irvine

email: ben(AT)tai.org.au

Ben is a Research Assistant to the Institute's directors. Ben has a Bachelor of Environmental Science with an Honours project in groundwater modelling at Flinders University and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Economics at Adelaide University. He has also worked as a database analyst programmer. His career focus is research and communication of ideas relating to economic, social and environmental policy.