Staff Profiles

David Kemp Phone: 8344 1990 Fax: 9349 5849 Email: d.kemp@anzsog.edu.au

Background

Prof. David Kemp is a Professorial Fellow in the Political Science Department, the Centre of Policy studies, and the Australia New Zealand School of Government. He was a member of Federal cabinet 1997-2004, and held a number of portfolios in the areas of Education, Employment, Training, Youth Affairs, Environment and Heritage. In these portfolios he was responsible inter alia for Australia's first national literacy and numeracy standards, the National Indigenous Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, the New Apprenticeship System, new choice funding policies for independent and systemic schools, the post-graduate income-contingent loan scheme, the establishment of the Job Network, the National Youth Roundtable, the legislative establishment of the new National Heritage regime and the rezoning of the Great Barrier Reef. He was Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service from 1997-2001, in which capacity he was responsible for the new Public Service Act 1999. He was Vice-President of the Executive Council from 1998-2004. He teaches and supervises students in graduate programs in public policy and administration. He has authored books on Australian political behaviour and Australian political analysis, and written numerous articles on political parties, policy processes and the liberalization of social policy. His main current research interests are in the process of policy reform, and in the role of choice policies in education.