NGA 2020 Speakers.

Hon Anthony Albanese MP

Anthony has represented the Inner West of Sydney as the Federal Member for Grayndler since 1996. He is currently the Leader of the Opposition.

During the Rudd-Gillard Government he served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and Leader of the House.

Anthony was named Infrastructure Minister of the Year in 2012 by London-based publication Infrastructure Investor and in 2010 was named Aviation Minister of the Year for producing Australia’s first ever Aviation White Paper.

Anthony believes strongly in the need for the government to invest in infrastructure and transport in our cities and regions to ensure our growing communities are productive, liveable and sustainable.

Liz Allen

Liz Allen is a demographer and social researcher, teaching research methods and researching population dynamics at the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods.

Liz has written for The Conversation, published scholarly articles in academic journals and made contributions to research reports. She was named among the inaugural ABC Top 5 Humanities and Social Sciences academics in Australia 2018. Her book, The Future of Us (2020), is a call to action showing how demography can be harnessed to build a better Australia.

Sarah Barker

Sarah Barker has two decades' experience as a corporate lawyer, and is regarded as one of the world's foremost experts on investment governance and corporate disclosure issues relating to climate change. Her expertise is sought by public and private sector clients across Australasia, and by global institutions from the Bank of England to the United Nations PRI.

Sarah is a non-executive director of the $30-billion FUM Emergency Services & State Super and the Responsible Investment Association Australasia, and on the Steering Committee of the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative. She teaches the Australian Institute of Company Directors' flagship Company Directors' Course and Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership's 'Earth on Board' programme, and in an academic visitor at the Smith School of Enterprise & the Environment at the University of Oxford.

Hon Mark Coulton MP

Mark was first elected to the House of Representatives for the seat of Parkes, New South Wales, in 2007. He has since been reelected in 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019.

In January 2020, Mark was appointed to the Coalition Government Ministry by Prime Minister Scott Morrison as the Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government, and was officially sworn-in on 29 May 2019. From March 2018 to May 2019, Mark was the Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.

During his time in the Federal Parliament, Mark has also held the positions of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Party’s Chief Whip, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Ageing and the Voluntary Sector, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Water and Conservation and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Emerging Trade Markets.

Prior to his election to the House of Representatives, Mark was the Mayor of Gwydir Shire Council from 2004 until 2007. Mark has an extensive agricultural background having spent 30 years as a farmer and grazier. Mark and his wife Robyn owned and operated a mixed farming system growing cereal crops and running beef cattle. As the Federal Member for Parkes, Mark represents one of the largest Aboriginal populations in the Australian Parliament.

Dr Neryl East

Dr Neryl East is a professional speaker and facilitator who shows current and aspiring local government leaders how to be heard, stand out and command influence.

After a media career, Neryl moved into local government where she held senior communication roles at Wollongong and Shellharbour City Councils. She managed communications at Wollongong during one of the biggest corruption scandals in Australian local government history, which led to public ICAC hearings and the dismissal of the elected council. She has also managed communications at times of fire and flood.

Neryl now consults to councils around Australia and provides training, mentoring and strategic advice on all elements of media and communication. Her expertise in emergency communication has seen her provide advice to agencies including the State Emergency Service, Transport for NSW and the South Australian Emergency Management Committee,chaired by the Premier.

Neryl has a PhD in Journalism and is a Certified Speaking Professional – an international designation awarded to only a small percentage of professional speakers globally. She is the author of five books including an Amazon best-seller on media and reputation.

Daniel Hilson

Daniel is Founder / CEO of Evenergi, operating in UK, Australia, France and Denmark. Evenergi has helped many local governments understand the opportunities and risks in the new world of electric, autotomous, shared and connected mobility. They have completed major projects for over 20 local governments, helping with future fleet transitions, community engagement and behavioural change, and charging infrastructure planning.

Daniel is Chair of the Charge Together Program (with over 74 councils signed up) and has delivered major reports for Federal and State Governments in the area of mobility and energy markets. He is a frequent speaker on eMobility and energy markets, and runs a popular Webinar series in electrification of fleets.

He has worked in Senior Management roles for global companies, including Siemens, EDF, Brookfield Infrastructure. Daniel holds a Masters of Environment Science (UNSW) and Masters of Commerce (USYD)

Hon Scott Morrison MP

Scott Morrison was sworn in as Prime Minister of Australia on 24 August 2018.Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Scott Morrison was Federal Treasurer. His achievements as Treasurer include:

Record jobs growth
Delivering tax relief for families and small businesses
Reducing the deficit
Getting debt under control
Ensuring multinationals pay their fair share of tax
The Prime Minister says the achievement he is most proud of is the more than 100,000 jobs that were created for young people during 2017-18. This is the best result on record.

As Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Scott Morrison successfully stopped the boats. This stopped the deaths at sea that had been occurring over the previous six years under Labor. Stopping the boats meant that, the Government could close 19 detention centres and remove all children from detention and from Nauru.

As Social Services Minister, Scott reduced abuse of the welfare system and put Australia’s social safety net on a more sustainable footing.

Throughout his career in government and in the private sector, Scott Morrison has established a reputation as someone who listens to people and solves difficult policy problems.

Scott Morrison is from the Sutherland Shire in Sydney’s south. He has represented his local community in Parliament for over 11 years.

Violet Sheridan

Violet is a Ngunnawal Elder who grew up in her mother’s country of Yass.

With her daughter and three sons and eighteen grandchildren, Violet passes on the knowledge she learnt from her Uncle Bruce Merritt of the history and stories of the Ngunnawal People the traditional owners of the lands on which we meet.

Peter van Onselen

Peter van Onselen is Network Ten’s political editor and a contributing editor for The Australian, where he writes a weekly column. He is also a professor of political science and Foundation Chair of Journalism at the University of Western Australia, as well as a professor of politics and public policy at Griffith University.

Peter is a host on The Project and appears as a panelist on ABC Insiders. He has won Walkley and Logie awards for his broadcast journalism on Sky News where he worked for nearly ten years as a host, and a News Award for his feature and opinion writing in the Australia.

He is the author or editor of six books, including a biography of former Prime Minister John Howard, rated by the Wall Street Journal as the best biography of 2007. He has a PhD in political science and a masters of policy studies and a masters of commerce.

Dr Geoff Wilson

Dr Geoff Wilson is an Australian motivational speaker with a difference. Sure, he’s a vet, successful business owner and entrepreneur. But he’s also without a doubt one of Australia’s most accomplished adventurers.

Geoff recently set a new solo and unsupported polar record for the longest expedition across Antarctica at 5,306km, taking 58 days to achieve. He also completed the first and only summit of Dome Argus by ski, and was the first Australian to reach the Pole Of Inaccessibility by ski.

Geoff knows motivation is an essential element in all of life’s situations. After all, it’s what drives us, makes us hungry for continuous improvement, and for many, can be the difference between success and failure. This is where Geoff comes in.

His life achievements are nothing short of inspiring. As a result, his talks have the power to kick-start real change and breathe fresh air into your approach to each and every day.

Geoff holds numerous world records including;

Longest solo and unsupported polar expedition
First and only summit of Dome Argus by ski
First Australian to reach the Pole Of Inaccessibility by ski.
Longest land journey ever by kite across the Sahara Desert
First ever kite surfing expedition across the Torres Strait
Fastest Solo unsupported crossing of Antarctica, coast to coast through the South Pole