Australian taxpayers are funding more than $80,000 for government agency staff to attend leadership summits headlined by former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The events, part of the Women's Unlimited Leadership Summit, are scheduled to take place in August across Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne.
Ardern will be joined by other speakers, including former Olympian Dr. Jana Pittman, ABC journalist Annabel Crabb, and former Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate. The cost for attending the two-day events starts at $3,599 for online passes, with in-person premium tickets priced at $4,499, including GST.
Federal government agencies, including the Department of Defence, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and the Australian Taxation Office, have purchased tickets for their staff. The Australian Signals Directorate, a cybersecurity agency, spent the largest amount at $28,975 for staff training services.
This expenditure comes after Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher urged departments to reduce spending, which had reached a 40-year high. In November of the previous year, they asked federal departments to identify up to five percent in budget savings.
A government spokesperson stated that professional development events are budgeted for by individual agencies. "Decisions regarding staff training, professional development and attendance at conferences form part of agencies' budgets and are a matter for the relevant agency," they said, adding that agencies must always demonstrate value for money.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's Inspector-General of Water Compliance described the expenditure as an investment in staff leadership capability. The Australian Signals Directorate indicated its ticket purchases were aimed at developing and retaining its workforce in fields where women are statistically under-represented.
Summit organizers highlight that attendees will gain insights from leadership figures on practical approaches to navigating complex environments, leading teams through change, and making decisions with incomplete information. Ardern's session will include a moderated Q&A and an interactive reflection activity.
Other speakers at the summit include former Labor leader Bill Shorten, who is set to address the Canberra forum on leadership values. Previous editions of the summit have featured notable figures such as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.