In the 1970s Dr Michael Keating was Head of the Division at the OECD that coordinated the OECD economic forecasts and policy advice. Later he was responsible for assessing the medium-term economic prospects of OECD member countries and the demands on their governments.
Subsequently, a few years after returning to Australia in 1979, Dr Keating was Head of three Commonwealth Government Departments:
- The Department of Employment & Industrial Relations (early 1983 to 1986)
- The Department of Finance (1986 to 1991)
- The Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet (1991 to the end of 1996).
Particularly during his time at Finance and PM&C, Dr Keating was heavily involved in improving the performance of government programs by improving the available information and ensuring regular program evaluation.
After nearly fourteen years as a Department Head, in 1997 Dr Keating decided to pursue a different career as a Fellow at the Australian National University and as an Associate Professor at Griffith University, before finally retiring in 2018. In addition, over those years, Dr Keating participated in numerous State and Federal Government Boards and enquiries.
Dr Keating’s interests as an economist have been in macroeconomic policy, with a focus on fiscal policy and labour markets. As an academic Dr Keating focussed heavily on the capacity of governments to govern, given the changing nature of our technologies and society. Finally, Dr Keating’s last book in 2018 is about the causes of rising inequality and the consequences of that increased inequality for our economy and society.
Throughout his career Dr Keating has also been especially involved in how best to help disadvantaged people and enhance their capabilities.