The Hon Dr Craig Emerson

Dr Craig Emerson is an eminent economist with 40 years’ experience in public policy, politics and public service. He is Managing Director of Emerson Economics, Director of the APEC Study Centre at RMIT University, a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, a member of the Trade Minister’s Trade 2040 Taskforce, Adjunct Professor at Victoria University’s Centre of Policy Studies and a columnist with the Australian Financial Review.

 Dr Emerson was Australia’s Minister for Trade and Competitiveness from 2010 to 2013. Prior to that he was Minister for Small Business and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs. 

Dr Emerson was economic, trade and environmental adviser to Prime Minister Bob Hawke in the 1980s. He was also Director-General of the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage in the early 1990s.

 Dr Emerson has a PhD in Economics from the Australian National University under the supervision of Professor Ross Garnaut.