Leading economist Professor Ian Harper AO to speak at 2025 Toowoomba Mayoral Prayer Breakfast on May…

Leading Australian economist and public policy specialist, Professor Ian Harper AO, pictured, is the guest speaker for the 2025 Toowoomba Mayoral Prayer Breakfast.

The 31st community fundraiser will be held on Tuesday, May 13 at Rumours International, 323 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba from 6am.

Toowoomba Region Mayor Cr Geoff McDonald said Professor Harper was a highly regarded economist in academic, business and government spheres, in addition to being an accomplished speaker.

Professor Harper is a member of the Monetary Policy Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and Chair of the Australian Statistics Advisory Council.

For five years until November 2023, Professor Harper was Dean & Director of Melbourne Business School and Co-Dean of the Faculty of Business & Economics at The University of Melbourne. Before this, he was a partner at Deloitte Access Economics for seven years.

From March 2014 to March 2015, Professor Harper chaired the Australian Government’s Competition Policy Review and, before that, served as inaugural Chairman of the Australian Fair Pay Commission from December 2005 to July 2009. From May to December 1995, he chaired the Melbourne Metropolitan Hospitals Planning Board for the Victorian Government.

Alongside his professional career, Professor Harper has served the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne as chair of the former Stipends Committee (now renamed the Clergy Remuneration and Working Conditions Committee) since 2015, and in 2024 he was elected to the Board of Nominators for the Archbishopric of Melbourne.

He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in 2000 and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2009.

In 2016 he was elected a Distinguished Public Policy Fellow of the Economic Society of Australia and in 2024 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Economics by The University of Queensland.

In recognition of these achievements, among others, Professor Harper was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List with the citation: “For distinguished service to education in the field of economics, and to public and monetary policy development and reform”.

In addition to releasing academic and other publications, Professor Harper won the Australian Christian Book of the Year award for his 2011 book, Economics for Life. The book was updated and later published as, Confessions of a Meddlesome Economist. Both books cover how Professor Harper’s Christian faith has helped his professional career.

Mayor McDonald said a charity beneficiary would be announced soon.

“The Toowoomba Mayoral Prayer Breakfast has the distinction of being one of the few events of its kind in Australia that is completely supported by its home businesses and organisations with proceeds delivered back to a chosen charity,” Mayor McDonald said.

“I thank all business people and volunteers for contributing to the function, which has raised more than $326,000 for more than 30 charities in this Region.”

Tickets will be on sale from 9am on Monday, April 14, 2025.

Prices are $27 for adult tickets and $17 for school-age children.

Tickets can be purchased at Council’s Little Street Customer Service Centre in Toowoomba from 8.30am to 5pm on weekdays.

Tickets also can be bought by calling 131 872 or via Council’s website from April 14, 2025.

All credit cards, except Diners Club and American Express, can be used.