Kingsley Laffer Memorial Lecture

2026 Lecture

33rd Annual Kingsley Laffer Memorial Lecture

Addressing Forced Labour Risks in a Changing Global Economy

Chris Evans

• Thursday 8th October 2026
  5:30pm - 6:00pm Registration
  6:00pm - 7:00pm - Kingsley Laffer Memorial Lecture
  7:00pm - 8:00pm - Reception and Networking
• 
  
• Lecture Theatre 1130
  Belinda Hutchinson Building (H70)
  Darlington Ln & Abercrombie St
  Darlington NSW 2008

Mr Chris Evans was appointed the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner in December 2024. Previously Mr Evans has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Freedom Network of Walk Free, working with faith leaders to end human trafficking and modern slavery. From 2016 to 2020 he also held the role of Strategic Engagement Lead, Walk Free, leading the organisation's national and international engagement with governments, business and civil society to forge partnerships to strengthen legislative and policy responses to modern slavery. Walk Free played a significant role in the campaign for the introduction of the Modern Slavery Bill 2018. Mr Evans was a Senator for Western Australia between 1993 and 2013. He served as Leader of the Government in the Senate (2007-13), Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2007-10), Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations (2010-11) and Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research (2011-13).

Topic

As Australia's inaugural Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Chris has established an ambitious reform agenda focused on strengthening protections for workers most vulnerable to exploitation, both in Australia and across global supply chains. Against a backdrop of increasing geopolitical uncertainty, he will examine the implications for Australia's response to forced labour and outline why a strong industrial relations framework is critical to identifying, managing, and mitigating these risks.

We hope to see you at the lecture, which will be followed by a reception for discussion and networking. Registrations are essential.

Past lectures

The inaugural Kingsley Laffer Memorial Lecture was given in 1993 by the Hon Bob Hawke. Laffer Lecturers have also included:

About Kingsley Laffer

At the time of his retirement from the University of Sydney in 1976, Kingsley Laffer was Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Industrial Relations within the Faculty of Economics. Kingsley was the founding editor of the Journal of Industrial Relations for 18 years. He also helped establish the Industrial Relations Society of NSW, which later became a national organisation.

Born in Western Australia on 28 February 1911, Kingsley Laffer became an external student of Economics at the University of Western Australia while working in the country. He was the first external student to be awarded the Hackett Bursary. After graduating with first class honours, he taught briefly at the University of Melbourne and then joined the University of Sydney in 1944. He was a member of the academic staff at Sydney for more than three decades. After his retirement, Kingsley became the first Fellow of the Nepean College of Advanced Education (now part of the University of Western Sydney) where he helped develop academic programs in industrial relations.