Michael Buckland, Chief Executive Officer, McKell Institute

Michael Buckland is the CEO of the McKell Institute, Australia’s leading progressive think tank in areas of housing affordability, taxation, wage theft, wage growth, superannuation, childcare and more. 

The McKell Institute works with all major political parties to pursue pragmatic progressive solutions to our most pressing policy challenges. 

Michael joined the Institute from Australia’s largest philanthropic fund, the Paul Ramsay Foundation, where he led policy programs and public affairs to help achieve their mission to break cycles of disadvantage in Australia. 

His passion while working for the Foundation was seeking ways to disrupt the stubborn cycle of disadvantage caused by our criminal justice system. 

Michael has served as Chief of Staff and Policy Director to NSW Opposition Leaders, giving him extensive experience at the highest levels in policy development and government. 

His diverse background includes work for derivatives trading firm, First Prudential Markets, trade unions and advocacy campaigns. 

Mike Callaghan AM PSM, Chair, Australian Grants Commission

Mike Callaghan is chair of the Commonwealth Grants Commission and chaired the 2020 Review of the Retirement Income System. He spent 38 years in the Australian Treasury, including: Deputy Secretary Macroeconomic Group; Australia’s G20 Finance Deputy; Prime Minister’s Special Envoy International Economy; and Deputy Secretary Revenue Group.

He was an Executive Director at the IMF and served as Chief of Staff to the Treasurer, the Hon Peter Costello.

Mike has chaired reviews for the Australian Government covering tax, insurance, and economic regulation. He has also undertaken reviews for the IMF and World Bank and chaired replenishments of the ADB’s Asian Development Fund.

From 2018 to 2020 he was Chair on the Aged Care Financing Authority, and from 2012 to 2014, Director of the G20 Studies Centre at the Lowy Institute.  He was on the Board of the Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation from 2017 to 2019.

Kara Keys, Trustee Director, Cbus; Chair, Women in Super; AIST Board Member

Kara Keys is a proud First Nations woman as a descendant of the Yiman and Gangulu peoples of central Queensland.

Kara has extensive experience in developing and leading a range of strategic campaigns, policy development and stakeholder engagement programs with over 15 years’ experience working in unions and the ACTU.

Kara joined the board of Cbus in 2018 and sits on the Investment Committee and is the Chair, People Culture & Renumeration Committee.  She joined the AIST Board in 2020 and on 23 November 2020, was elected chair of Women in Super.

Kara is passionate about First Nations justice, gender equality and building and empowering communities for a better Australia.  Outside of her roles in superannuation, Kara puts these passions into practice via her consulting firm KTL Collective and volunteering with community organisations and community projects such as Welcoming Australia,  Gari Yala Project and The Justice Map.

Ali Moore, Journalist and Broadcaster

Ali Moore has more than 30 years experience as a journalist and broadcaster, working for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia's Nine Network, and for the BBC's global news network, based in Singapore. She has covered major news and current affairs events across the region, including as the ABC's China Correspondent in Beijing. Ali is a former Vice-Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Melbourne, producing and presenting the 'This is Not A Drill' series of hypotheticals with Asialink, the ABC and the Wheeler Centre. She is now a freelance broadcaster and journalist, and regular program host on ABC Radio Melbourne.