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Members of the Expert Taskforce

The members of the Expert Taskforce were announced by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts on 18 June 2007. The Expert Taskforce will be chaired by Ms Patricia Scott. A Secretariat has been established to support the work of the Expert Taskforce and is headed by Mr Colin Lyons, Chief General Manager, Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Ms Patricia Scott: Ms Scott was appointed Secretary of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts in May 2007. Ms Scott joined the Australian Public Service in 1990 and her career has included both policy and program experience. Previous roles include Secretary of the Department of Human Services, Deputy Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C), Deputy Secretary in the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, and First Assistant Secretary of Economic Division in PM&C.

Before joining the APS, Ms Scott was an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Dr Ken Henry AC: Dr Henry commenced his appointment as Secretary to the Treasury in April 2000. He worked as a senior adviser to the Treasurer from 1986 to 1991, advising on taxation policy and administration, industry policy and microeconomic reform (including telecommunications reform). In 1991 Dr Henry became the head of the Microeconomic Modelling Unit, in July 1992 he took up the position of Minister (Economic and Financial Affairs) in the Australian Delegation to the OECD in Paris and in 1994 Dr Henry returned to the Treasury as head of the Taxation Policy Division.

In 1997 he was appointed Chairman of the Government's Taxation Task Force and in 1998 he was promoted to the position of Deputy Secretary of Treasury's Economic Group, and a member of the Treasury Executive Board.

Ms Jenny Goddard: Jenny Goddard is a Deputy Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) with oversight responsibilities across a wide range of economic policy areas of the department, as well as Cabinet support services. Prior to joining PM&C in 1997, she worked in the Australian Treasury for 13 years, including working as Treasury's representative in London.

Mr Tony Shaw PSM: Mr Shaw is a consultant, specialising in advice on regulatory and competition issues. Mr Shaw has 35 years experience in public policy research, development, implementation and administration. Since 1987 he has played a leading role in the formulation of Australian telecommunications and broadcasting policies. From 1997 to 2003 Mr Shaw was Chairman and CEO of the Australian Communications Authority. He was also an Associate Commissioner of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) during this period. Mr Shaw has wide experience as an applied economist, having worked for 13 years in the Bureau of Transport and Communications Economics, the Bureau of Industry Economics and the Bureau of Transport Economics.

Mr Rod Shogren : Mr Shogren has been a consultant for Access Economics Pty Limited since 2002. Prior to that, he was a Commissioner with the ACCC with a role in telecommunications regulation. He is currently a member of the Australian Competition Tribunal and a part-time member of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Mr Shogren has held a number of senior positions within the public sector, including First Assistant Secretary with the Fiscal and Structural Policy Division, Department of the Treasury, from 1990 to 1997.

Mr Joe Dimasi: Mr Dimasi is head of the Regulatory Affairs Division of the ACCC. As a long standing Senior Executive of the ACCC Mr Dimasi has extensive experience in economic regulation. The Division has responsibility for economic regulation in a number of network industries including telecommunications, energy and transport. Mr Dimasi holds honorary positions as a member of the Executive council of the East Asia and Pacific Infrastructure Regulators Forum, the Advisory Boards of the Monash Centre for Regulatory Studies and the Department of Business Law and Taxation, Monash University, the Editorial Committee of Agenda, ANU. Mr Dimasi is also Vice President and past President of the Economic Society of Australia (Victorian Branch).

Mr Len Bleasel AM: Mr Bleasel joined the Australian Gas Light Company in 1958 and worked in a variety of roles, culminating in the position of Managing Director and CEO from 1990 to 2001. He retired from management in 2001. Mr Bleasel is currently Chairman of ABN AMRO and the Zoological Parks Board NSW.

He is also a non-executive Director of QBE Insurance Group Limited and is chairman of the audit committee and a member of the remuneration committee. His past appointments have included Chairman of Foodlands Associated Limited, Director of St George Bank Limited and Chairman of the Australian Gas Association.

Mr Bleasel was awarded an AM in the General Division of the Order of Australia for services to the Australian gas and energy industries and the community. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mr Richard (Dick) Warburton AO: Mr Warburton is Chairman of Caltex Australia Limited, the Board of Taxation, Tandou Limited and Magellan Flagship Fund Ltd, and a director of Nufarm Limited.

He has previously held directorships with David Jones Limited, Southcorp Limited, the Reserve Bank Board, Tabcorp Holdings Limited and AurionGold Limited. Mr Warburton is a Fellow (and former National President) of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and received an Order of Australia in 2006 for services to business and commerce. Mr Warburton was also previously the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DuPont Australia and New Zealand.

With Peter Hendy, Mr Warburton was appointed to head the Treasurer's inquiry into the international competitiveness of Australia's tax system.

 
Document ID: 70732 | Last modified: 5 February 2008, 7:51pm