TGLS: Fiscal Policy for the Future seminar with Era Dabla-Norris

Join us for our next Fiscal Policy for the Future seminar

With global public debt at historically high and rising levels, this seminar explores the evolving discourse around fiscal policy, the risks and realities of public debt, and how these issues are perceived by the public.

Our guest speaker, Era Dabla-Norris (International Monetary Fund), will explore recent trends in political narratives that favor fiscal expansion and assess their implications for debt sustainability. The session will share new research findings on the risks associated with public debt and present evidence on how citizens often underestimate its scale. We will also discuss how these public perceptions shape expectations regarding future fiscal policy.

By connecting political narratives, economic realities, and public understanding, the seminar provides timely insights into the challenges of developing credible and inclusive fiscal strategies.

About the presenter

Era Dabla-Norris is a Deputy Director in the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department, where she leads the work on the IMF’s flagship report, the Fiscal Monitor, and on Fiscal Policy and AI. Since joining the IMF, she has worked on a range of countries and has published extensively in leading academic and policy-oriented journals on a wide range of topics.

She is the editor of the book Debt and Entanglements. Her research has also been profiled regularly in leading global newspapers and magazines such as The Economist, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, BBC, and CNN. She is a contributing member of the Global Futures Council of the World Economic Forum.

Era holds a Master’s degree from the Delhi School of Economics, India, and a PhD from the University of Texas.

About this seminar series

New ideas, innovative concepts, research evidence and expert advice are all crucial to stimulate and inform the Treasury’s economic analysis and advice. Our current theme for guest lectures - Fiscal Policy for the Future - explores the role of stabilising, sustainable and effective fiscal policy. Speakers will provide insights into how fiscal policy can be designed to support government to meet its current and future objectives and obligations while adapting to changing circumstances and delivering value to the New Zealand public.

Fiscal policy has a stabilising role in helping to smooth the business cycle, while sustainability in fiscal policy is foundational for resilience to both shocks and longstanding challenges, such as climate change, technological advancements, and demographic trends. Ensuring effective and value for money expenditure is important so that fiscal policy contributes to the living standards of New Zealanders, both now and in the future.

Please note that the views, opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in the Treasury Guest Lecture Series are those of the individual presenters. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the New Zealand Treasury or the New Zealand Government.

For updates and our latest research visit https://www.treasury.govt.nz/

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