Jon Altman receives Australia Day Honours

Congratulations to RegNet Honorary Professor Jon Altman who has been recognised in the 2017 Australia Day Honours.

Jon, founding Director of the ANU Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR), and now RegNet Honorary Professor (and ANU Professor Emeritus), was honoured for his significant service to tertiary education as a researcher and administrator, and to the social sciences and Indigenous economic policy.

“It’s just terrific that CAEPR, which I consider a really important research centre looking at the difficult policy issue for Australia of Indigenous development, is still going strong and is proving sustainable,” Professor Altman said.

“It is probably needed more now than ever. We have a political swing to populism at the moment, and scholarly research and hard evidence is urgently needed to help shape sensible policy.

“Getting this award is recognition that CAEPR has been and continues to be a valuable ANU project.

“I have championed Indigenous rights for 40 years with this work recognised on Australia Day. This is paradoxical, given the pain this day represents for most Indigenous Australians I know, and given that I believe it is an anachronism that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.”