Lindsay Tanner

After completing his legal training, Lindsay Tanner quickly became involved in the union movement and entered Federal politics on a Labor ticket in 1993. His front-bench portfolio responsibilities included Transport, Finance and Communications before serving as the Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation from 2007 to 2010. He is currently employed as special advisor at Lazard and as Adjunct Professor at Victoria University.

• The Former Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner is widely regarded as one of the Government's strongest economic thinkers and highly respected by industry leaders and economic analysts.
• Lindsay Tanner was a member of the fabled "Gang of Four" at the centre of the Rudd Government and through the Global Financial Crisis. 
• Lindsay Tanner practised as a lawyer before entering Federal Parliament in 1993. His front-bench portfolio responsibilities included Transport, Finance and Communications.
• He has written extensively on economic and political issues, including six published books.
• He is the inaugural Vice-Chancellor's Fellow at Victoria University and is an Adjunct Professor at the University. In this role he contributes as a leader in research and knowledge transfer in the area of economic, industry and social analysis, working alongside researchers in relevant faculties, research centres and institutes, as well as industry and government.
• Lindsay Tanner is an accomplished speaker with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Former Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation (2007-2010), Lindsay Tanner is widely regarded as one of the Government's strongest economic thinkers and highly respected by industry leaders and economic analysts.

After completing his university studies, Lindsay Tanner initially undertook his articles as a lawyer with Holding Redlich before serving as Victorian Secretary of the Federated Clerks Union. He entered Federal Parliament in 1993.

He has held a variety of front-bench portfolio responsibilities including Transport, Finance and Communications before serving as the Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation from 2007 to 2010.

Lindsay Tanner was a member of the fabled “Gang of Four” at the centre of the Rudd Government and through the Global Financial Crisis.  He has a wealth of knowledge and experience across a very broad range of subjects. He was widely regarded as one of the Government’s strongest economic thinkers and is widely respected by industry leaders and economic analysts.

As a Minister Lindsay Tanner was responsible for:

• Preparation and management of the Federal Budget and publication of Government accounts.
• Oversight of the operations of the Future Fund.
• Federal Government procurement, including comprehensive reform of IT, travel and
  property procurement.
• Financial transparency, accountability and auditing across government agencies.
• Formal ownership of Federal Government shareholdings in government business enterprises, including Australia Post, Medibank Private, the Australian Rail Track Corporation and the National Broadband Network Corporation (NBN Co).
• Leading the Council of Australian Governments Business Regulation and Competition Working Group program of 27 areas of regulatory harmonisation across Australia.

Lindsay Tanner’s vast sectoral knowledge includes transport, communications, infrastructure, finance, manufacturing, health insurance, government/bureaucracy. His diverse subject knowledge covers the areas of economics, environmental issues, social relationships, media (books published on all these) and international politics. He also has expertise in Industrial relations, having spent six years as a union leader and with his involvement in these issues as a politician.

As well as a successful political career Lindsay Tanner has written extensively on economic and political issues, including six published books. He is the inaugural Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at Victoria University and is an Adjunct Professor at the University. In this role he contributes as a leader in research and knowledge transfer in the area of economic, industry and social analysis, working alongside researchers in relevant faculties, research centres and institutes, as well as industry and government.

He is currently employed as special advisor at Lazard (a corporate advisory firm specialising in mergers and acquisitions, restructures and capital-raisings) and as Adjunct Professor at Victoria University. He’s also on the boards of Lifebroker and Virgin Australia International Holdings, and is Chairman of the Governance Advisory Panel for Chartered Secretaries Australia and the Australasian Railway Association.

Lindsay Tanner is an accomplished speaker who was renowned for his parliamentary performances.  He has a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Law degree from Melbourne University, and is fluent in the Greek language.

Lindsay’s books include:

• Politics with Purpose: Occasional Observations on Public and Private Life (Penguin, 2012) (with Paul Kelly)
• Sideshow: Dumbing Down Democracy (Scribe, 2011)
• Crowded Lives (Pluto Press, 2003)
• Open Australia (Pluto Press, 1999)
• The Last Battle (Kokkino Press, 1997)
• The Politics of Pollution (Visa, 1978) (with Peter Russ)
• Many opinion pieces, essays and articles