SOME of Australia’s most respected thinkers will debate the nation’s most controversial issues at a La Trobe University conference to mark a leading academic’s retirement.
The conference will honour Professor Robert Manne, a professor of politics. He has chosen multiculturalism, climate change, asylum seekers and indigenous politics among the topics for 30 speakers.
Indigenous leader Professor Mick Dodson will talk about the key tensions in Aboriginal politics, the stolen generations report and other matters at the “Thinking for yourself” conference.
“Mick Dodson has been at the centre of political debate and can talk not just from a professional but deeply personal perspective about the state of indigenous politics over the past two decades or more,” Mr Manne said. “This is a conversation I have long wanted to happen not only because it is vitally important to the maturing of Australia but also because it will be with a leader that I have admired for many years.”
He said a lot had happened in indigenous politics since the Keating government made Mr Dodson a social justice commissioner.
Gwenda Tavan, a senior politics lecturer at La Trobe University and one of the conference organisers, urged residents to attend the two-day event with leading social commentators.
The conference will be on February 28 and March 1 at the John Scott Meeting House, La Trobe University, Bundoora. Visit latrobe.edu.au/humanities/about/conferences/thinking-for-yourself. To attend, contact Bree Ahrens via email at b.ahrens@latrobe.edu.au.
