The challenge of governing with public-private partnerships
Justice Bell believes that current state and territory laws do not adequately protect the security of tenure for public housing tenants, who can be evicted without reason or cause.
The Challenge of Governance, an international workshop on public private partnership (PPP), will take place today and tomorrow,Wednesday 8 and tomorrow Thursday 9 October.
Hosted by the Centre for Commerical Law and Regulatory Studies and convened by Professor Graeme Hodge, the workshop is bringing global and local scholars together to examine this popular but controversial method of delivering public infrastructure around the globe.
Auditor-General of Victoria, Mr John Doyle will introduce the conference, which will cover issues of accountability and transparency; auditing PPP performance; evolving institutional arrangements and practices; long-term contracts as governing tools; ongoing monitoring; and global best practice and governance case studies.
Professor Hodge said the issue of governance for public-private partnerships is paramount. This conference is the third in a series of multidisciplinary PPP-focused events and follows conferences in Copenhagen and Vancouver.
“Governments and business both view PPPs as innovative solutions for delivering public infrastructure," Professor Hodge said.
"Of course, getting big infrastructure projects up is always going to be a controversial matter, but in Melbourne, PPP discussions have left the cabinet table and banking boardrooms and entered kitchens and supermarkets. Citizens now rightly have strong opinions on PPPs, too.
"Increasingly, academic debate in many countries is now turning away from technical contests around PPP performance and addressing more fundamental issues of legitimacy and political power. PPP contracts are recognised as a primary long term governing tool not just a temporary project delivery mechanism."
This invitation-only event will be held at Monash University Law Chambers.