March 25, 2025

Federal budget 2025: Expert commentary

UOW academics provide expert commentary, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing and breaking news stories

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Health

Professor Caleb Ferguson is a nursing expert who can discuss investment in health, chronic disease management, cardiovascular disease and stroke, digital health and sustainability in nursing. Professor Ferguson is a registered nurse, Professor of Nursing and Associate Head of School (Research Strategy, Development and Partnerships) in the School of Nursing. He is also the Academic Director of the Centre for Chronic and Complex Care Research and Director of UOW: Health Innovations.

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Indigenous affairs

Associate Professor Summer May Finlay is a Yorta Yorta woman and Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences. She has over 20 years of experience working in and with Indigenous organisations, the tertiary sector, local, state and federal governments. Associate Professor Finlay’s work focuses on Indigenous health service delivery, policy and overcoming health disparities. 

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Energy

Honorary Fellow Ty Christopher can comment on announcements related to energy. Mr Christopher is the Director of UOW’s Energy Futures Network. The network’s research includes renewable energy systems and integration, power systems, sustainability (including building design), power quality and reliability, battery energy storage and management systems, distributed energy generation, microgrids, infrastructure modelling and economics, and R&D leading to a more hydrogen-intensive economy.

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Household budgets

Professor Martin O’Brien is an economist who can comment on budget announcements related to the labour market, public sector wages, skills shortages and household budgets. Professor O’Brien is from the Centre for Human and Social Capital Research in the Faculty of Business and Law. 

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Diet-related health investment

Associate Professor Kelly Lambert can discuss diet-related health investments. Associate Professor Lambert is the Academic Program Director for Nutrition and Dietetics at UOW and Co-Director of the Kidney Lifestyle Research Group. She is also the Deputy Director of UOW Health Innovations – a leading multidisciplinary research hub focused on advancing healthcare through innovation. 

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Nursing

Professor Liz Halcomb is a primary health care nursing specialist.  Her research expertise relates to the nursing workforce in primary care, chronic and complex disease and lifestyle risk factor reduction. Professor Halcomb has undertaken research around the nursing academic workforce, research training and teaching and learning in nursing. She is from the School of Nursing.

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UOW academics exercise academic freedom by providing expert commentary, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing social issues and current affairs. This expert commentary reflects the views of those individual academics and does not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the University of Wollongong.

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FIND AN EXPERT

The University of Wollongong boasts world-leading experts across a range of disciplines. Visit our Find an expert page for a selection of our experts who can speak to current ongoing and breaking news stories, or contact the Media and Public Relations Unit for help finding relevant experts, organising interviews and providing answers to specific questions.