Ask a Question
Members Events
Live Music Thur and Fri nights!
We are proud to offer members and friends the most sophis...
Newsletter
Stay up to date with the latest news, events and entertainment from the National Press Club of Australia.
Speakers
Senator the Hon Penny Wong MP
Minister for Finance and Deregulation
February 8, 2012
"Address to the National press Club"
Penny Wong was born in Malaysia and moved to Australia when she was eight.
Before entering Parliament, Penny Wong was a barrister and solicitor in Adelaide and worked as an adviser to the Carr Government in New South Wales.
She was elected as a Labor Senator for South Australia in November 2001 and began her term in July 2002.
In Opposition, Penny held the portfolios of Employment and Workforce Participation, Corporate Governance and Responsibility and Public Administration and Accountability.
In December 2007 Penny was appointed to the Federal Cabinet in the Rudd Labor Government as the Minister for Climate Change and Water, and in March 2010 the Prime Minister added the Energy Efficiency portfolio to her responsibilities.
In September 2010 Penny was appointed as Minister for Finance and Deregulation in the Gillard Labor Government.
Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoğlu
Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
February 15, 2012
'Address to the National Press club"
Professor Ihsanoğlu has held the role of OIC Secretary General since 2005, and has a significant international profile beyond the Middle East. He has been active in promoting international peace and security, economic development and addressing “islamophobia” in the West.
Australia has stepped up its engagement in recent years with the OIC. Foreign Minister Rudd addressed the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting last year in Kazakhstan, and in June 2011 appointed Australia’s first special envoy to the OIC, Mr Ahmed Fahour (CEO, Australia Post).
Christopher Kennedy & Dr John Herron
Australian National Council on Drugs
February 28, 2012
"Address to the National Press Club"
Christopher Kennedy-Lawford is a nephew of legendary US President John F Kennedy, the son of John's sister Patricia and cousin-in-law of former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In his 2005 New York Times bestselling memoir, Symptoms of Withdrawal, Christopher Kennedy-Lawford chronicled his deep descent into near-fatal drug and alcohol addiction, and his subsequent hard-won journey back to sobriety, which he has maintained for the past 24 years with the hopes of making a difference. The overwhelming response received to his book impressed upon Kennedy-Lawford the number of people struggling to find their own way back from addiction and the need to share their stories, which led to the development of Moment of Clarity: Voices From the Front Lines of Addiction and Recovery.
In 2009, Kennedy-Lawford released The New York Times Bestseller, Moments of Clarity, which illuminates the spiritual epiphanies that occur in 44 peoples lives enabling them to move from addiction to recovery and Healing Hepatitis C.
Mr. Kennedy-Lawford has a novel in the works focusing on the relationship between men and women.
Christopher Kennedy-Lawford has spent much of his life in Hollywood and Washington, navigating these two worlds as an actor, writer, lawyer, activist and public speaker. However, before his successes, Lawford battled a drug and alcohol addiction for much of his early life. In recovery for more than 24 years, he shares his experience, strength and hope to make a difference in people’s lives. As a result of his drug addiction, Mr. Kennedy-Lawford was diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2000. He was successfully treated and is now virus free. For the past five years he has worked with a number of partners in private industry, the non-profit sector, state and federal governments and patient advocacy groups to effect change and raise awareness about these two pressing public health issues. Presently Mr. Kennedy-Lawford is working with the United Nations, the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse, and the World Health Organization in efforts to raise awareness globally about addiction and hepatitis.
Mr. kennedy-Lawford has extensive experience in the non-profit sector working with a variety of organizations including: Caron Treatment Centers, California Hepatitis Alliance, The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, Special Olympics, The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, and was recently appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Public Health Advisory Committee. Mr. Kennedy-Lawford spends much of his time speaking globally in support of these issues. His political resume includes executive staff positions with The Democratic National Committee, The Community Action for Legal Services Agency and in the Washington office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. He has also held staff positions on numerous national, state and local political campaigns.
Dr John Herron – Chairman of the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD)
Outside his surgical and political careers Dr Herron was an officer in the Royal Australian Army Medical corps and a Squadron Leader in the Royal Australian Air Force. He has been awarded the Bancroft Medal of the A.M.A. (QLD), the Justin Fleming Medal of the Australian Association of Surgeons, a Citation by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the Humanitarian Overseas Medal for his service as a Care Australia medical officer during the Rwandan crisis and the Australian Service Medal.
He is a Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and a Papal Knight of St Gregory.
He and his wife Jan have six daughters and three sons.
Professor Glyn Davis AC
Chair, Univesities Australia
March 7, 2012
"Address to the National Press Club"
Glyn Davis is Professor of Political Science, Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Melbourne.
Professor Davis was educated in political science at the University of New South Wales and the Australian National University, before undertaking post-doctoral appointments as a Harkness Fellow at the University of California Berkeley, the Brookings Institution in Washington DC and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Professor Davis is Chair of Universities Australia, and a Board Member of the Melbourne Theatre Company.
Internationally, Professor Davis is Chair of Universitas 21, a grouping of 24 leading universities from around the globe, a member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, and a Director of the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at King’s College London.
Peter Verwer
Chief Executive Property Council of Australia
March 28, 2012
"Fixing our cities"
Peter Verwer is the Chief Executive of the Property Council of Australia, the nation’s leading advocate for the $670 billion property investment industry.
The Property Council of Australia is launching a national campaign to revolutionise Australia’s approach to urban policy - targeting all spheres of Australian government.
In his speech, Mr Verwer will explain why fixing our cities is the new frontier of micro-economic reform in Australia.
Mr Verwer will outline the challenges facing Australian cities and the role governments should play in urban affairs.
Mr Verwer will argue that:
- Regardless of whether we want a big Australia or not, our population will grow by more than 10 million people over next 35 years.
- Most of this growth will occur in cities, which already generate more than 80 per cent of our national wealth.
- Urban policy and productivity reform are indivisible – poorly planned, undercapitalised and congested cities reduce our national competitiveness and social capital.
- Our cities are under stress because state governments don't execute their plans, local Government can't see the big picture and the federal government won’t use its fiscal muscle.
- and it is in the national interest to implement a strategic plan for better cities.
Mr Verwer will set out a new reform agenda to make our cities work.
Dr Helen Szoke
Race Discrimination Commissioner
June 13, 2012
"Address to the National Press Club"
Helen Szoke was appointed as Australia’s full time Race Discrimination Commissioner on 5th September 2011 for a five year term.
Up until her appointment, Helen Szoke was the Commissioner with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and worked with the Commission from 2004 until August 2011. During this time, she has been Co-Chair of the Management Committee of Play by the Rules. A unique partnership between the Australian Human Rights Commission, Australian Sports Commission and various other agencies, Play by the Rules is a website which provides information and online learning for community sport and recreation on how to prevent and deal with discrimination, harassment and child abuse for the sport and recreation industry.
Helen has previously held positions relating to management, community development, organizational development and regulation in the education and health sectors.
Helen is currently a Board Member of Multicultural Arts Victoria and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Centre for International Mental Health, School of Population Health University of Melbourne.
She has held various other Statutory and Directors positions including the Adult Migrant Education Services, National Health and Medical Research Licensing Committee, Consumers Health Forum, the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Key Centre for Women’s Health, Women’s Health Victoria and various community agencies. She also served one term as a local city councillor.
Some of the milestones that have marked Dr Szoke’s time as Commissioner in Victoria, are the introduction of the charter of human rights as well as the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic).
Helen is also a Patron of New Beginnings which is an NGO set up to deal with peaceful conflict resolution with a focus on people of African Descent – It is a new organisation which is a collaboration between Sudanese and non-Sudanese Australians working towards peaceful productive lives through meaningful, sustainable actions that break cycles of conflict.
She is also Patron of the Australian Arabic Women's Foundation Inc, which aims to empower, encourage and support women from Arabic backgrounds to become independent.
Dr Steve Hambleton
President Australian Medical Association
July 18, 2012
"The AMA - 50 years of health advocacy "
AMA President Dr Steve Hambleton will discuss contemporary health issues against the backdrop of the 50th Anniversary of the AMA as the peak health advocacy group in Australia.
