In Episode 49, “The Big Challenge”, Blenheim Partners’ Gregory Robinson speaks to Dr Martin Parkinson AC, the Chancellor of Macquarie University. Martin served in the Commonwealth Government for almost 40 years, most recently as the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from 2016 to 2019 and Secretary of the Australian Treasury from 2011 to 2014. He was also Secretary of Australia’s inaugural Department of Climate Change between 2007 and 2011.
Martin is currently a Non-Executive Director of Worley Ltd, North Queensland Airports and Male Champions of Change, and is a member of the Northern Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission. He previously served on the Boards of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Orica Ltd and the German Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and was Chair of the Australian Office of Financial Management.
In this insightful conversation, Martin shares with us his views on a myriad of topics, from the inner workings of Government, the difficult task of bringing everyone together on climate policy, the impact of the pandemic on our third largest export, education, and the current dynamics in play in foreign policy. Martin and Greg address the big issues – what do we want as a society, what is important, where we are headed and the big challenge ahead.

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