Australia’s Champion of Public Choice: An Appreciation of the Life and Works of Geoffrey Brennan

This year’s Freedom to Choose (FTC) conference is the thirteenth in a sequence of annual one day events devoted to exploring the effectiveness of free-market policies. It is hosted by the University of Notre Dame Australia and generously supported by the Mannkal Economic Education Foundation. FTC 2023 is designed primarily for the benefit of undergraduate, honours, and postgraduate students, but all interested parties are welcome to attend.

The theme of FTC 2023 is Australia’s Champion of Public Choice: An Appreciation of the Life and Works of Geoffrey Brennan. Geoffrey Brennan (1944-2022) was one of Australia’s leading scholars of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. Geoff collaborated extensively with Nobel laureate James M. Buchanan, co-authoring with him The Power to Tax (1980) and The Reason of Rules (1985)—and later became a co-editor of the collected works of Buchanan. He also extended Buchanan’s contributions by exploring alternative assumptions about the behaviour of economic agents—such as morals, norms, and esteem—for the study of economic and political behaviour. FTC 2023 will provide an appreciation of the life and works of Geoff Brennan and also consider the relevance of his contributions for the current issues faced by society.

The confirmed speakers for FTC 2023 include Jeff Bennett (ANU), Michael Brennan (Productivity Commission), William Coleman (UNDA), Michael McLure (UWA), Lachlan Umbers (UWA).

FTC 2023 Conference Website: https://events.nd.edu.au/freedomtochoose2023

Registration: Please register your attendance via businessconferences@nd.edu.au. (Please include “FTC 2023 Registration” in the subject line.)