Federal Budget 2021: UNSW academics available to comment

On Tuesday 11 May, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will deliver the 2021-22 Federal Budget, which is expected to include a range of significant policy and fiscal measures to assist the Australian economy recover from the recession of 2020 and stimulate long-term growth and productivity. 

The following experts are available for comment: 

• Professor Alexander Hamilton from UNSW Science’s School of Physics is available to discuss low energy electronics. Contact Diane Nazaroff on 0424 479 199 or via diane.nazaroff@unsw.edu.au.

• Professor Andy Pitman, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes at UNSW is available to discuss bushfire readiness and the new Australian Climate Service. Contact Diane Nazaroff on 0424 479 199 or via diane.nazaroff@unsw.edu.au. 

• Associate Professor of Taxation & Business Law and Founding Director of the UNSW Tax Clinic, Ann Kayis-Kumar, is available to comment on financially vulnerable taxpayers, gender issues, and also multinationals. She is available via a.kayis@unsw.edu.au. 

• Professor of Taxation Chris Evans is available to comment on capital gains tax, personal tax and tax administration. He is available on 0430 206 063. He can be contacted on Tuesday 11 May on Budget evening up until 10pm and all of Wednesday. 

• Professor Chuan Zhao from UNSW Science’s School of Chemistry is available to comment on green hydrogen production via water electrolysis using renewable electricity and low-cost catalysts, low cost and robust hydrogen fuel cell technology using platinum-free catalysts, and electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxides into fuels and chemical feedstocks. Contact Diane Nazaroff on 0424 479 199 or via diane.nazaroff@unsw.edu.au. 

• Dr Claire Higgins, Senior Research Fellow, UNSW Law & Justice is available to comment on the impact on refugees and asylum seekers. Contact Dawn Lo on (02) 9065 4037 or dawn.lo@unsw.edu.au. 

• Professor Emma Johnston, UNSW Dean of Science, is available to comment on funding for higher education science. Contact Diane Nazaroff on 0424 479 199 or via diane.nazaroff@unsw.edu.au. 

• Professor Francois Aguey-Zinsou is available to comment on hydrogen storage research in the energy sector. He is available via f.aguey@unsw.edu.au. 

• Professor of Economics Gigi Foster is available to comment on the general impact of the budget, micro/macro-economic perspectives, debt, productivity and economic growth. She is available on gigi.foster@unsw.edu.au. 

• Professor Hal Pawson, Associate Director at the UNSW City Futures Research Centre is available to comment on housing affordability. Contact Ben Knight on 0422 651 085 or bknight@unsw.edu.au. 

• Associate Professor Iain McGill in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications is available to comment on techno-economic aspects of the hydrogen supply chain. He is available via i.macgill@unsw.edu.au.  

• Associate Professor of Finance Mark Humphery-Jenner is available to comment on the impact of government debt and financial impact on the economy. He is available on 0412 965 340 or m.humpheryjenner@unsw.edu.au on Tuesday from 9.30am, all of Wednesday and up until 6pm on Thursday. 

• Associate Professor Neeraj Sharma from UNSW Science’s School of Chemistry is available to discuss next-generation batteries. He is contactable via neeraj.sharma@unsw.edu.au. 

• Dr Paul Barnes, Research Fellow (Disaster & Urban Resilience) at the Institute for Global Development is available to comment on the National Recovery and Resilience Agency and the Australian Climate Service initiative. Contact Ben Knight on 0422 651 085 or bknight@unsw.edu.au. 

• Adjunct Professor of Economics Raja Junankar is available to comment on unemployment and long-term unemployment, especially youth unemployment. He is available on 0416 511 694 from 10am-7pm. 

• Associate Professor of Regulation and Governance Rob Nicholls is available to comment on cybersecurity in the context of small businesses and regulation, stimulating the digital economy (including NBN and capacity building), media regulation and platform businesses, and competition policy changes. Contact Rob on 0412 646 477 or r.nicholls@unsw.edu.au before 10.30pm and before 5pm on Tuesday (for anyone who is not in the budget lockdown room) and is available generally throughout the week. 

• Rodney Brown, Lecturer in UNSW Business School’s School of Accounting, Auditing & Taxation, is available to comment on superannuation, personal and company tax reform (changes to tax rates, negative gearing, capital gains tax discount) and GST reform (changes to rate and/or exemptions). He is available via rodney.brown@unsw.edu.au all day Wednesday and Thursday. 

• Professor Rose Amal in the School of Chemical Engineering is available to comment on green hydrogen technologies and training. She is available via r.amal@unsw.edu.au.
• Stephen Joseph, Visiting Professor in UNSW Science's School of Material Science and Engineering is available to discuss renewable energy and carbon drawdown/sequestration. Contact Diane Nazaroff on 0424 479 199 or via diane.nazaroff@unsw.edu.au.  
• Professor Vlado Perkovic, Dean of UNSW Medicine & Health is available to comment on the future of health, medical research, aged care, equity and access of healthcare, preventative wellbeing, big data and genomics, precinct projects, pandemics, and climate change and health. He is available 3:30-4pm on Tuesday and other options throughout the week. Contact Louise Caldicott on l.caldicott@unsw.edu.au or 0435800395.