Dr Matthew Gray
Deputy Director, Research

BEc(Hons) (Adelaide), PhD (ANU)

Biography

Dr Matthew Gray was appointed as Deputy Director, Research in July 2005. Dr Gray is also Executive Project Manager of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Previously, Dr Gray was employed at the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University.

Dr Gray has published research on a wide range of Australian social and economic policy issues. He has particular expertise in work and family issues, labour economics, social capital and social inclusion, measuring wellbeing, the economic consequences of divorce, child support, and social and economic policy development. He has undertaken extensive work on economic policy issues involving Indigenous Australians, including health status, labour market outcomes, poverty and the CDEP scheme.

Dr Gray has undertaken consultancies for a wide range of organisations including the Attorney-General's Department, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations, the former Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, OECD, and the New South Wales Department of Environment and Conservation.

During 2004-05 Dr Gray was a member of the Ministerial Taskforce on Child Support. He is a member of a number of advisory committees.

Selected recent publications

• Hayes, A., Weston, R., Qu, L. & Gray, M. (2010). Families then and now: 1980 - 2010 (Facts Sheet). Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Baxter, J., Gray, M., & Hayes, A. (2010). The best start: Supporting happy, healthy childhoods (Facts Sheet). Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Kaspiew, R., Gray, M., Weston, R., Moloney, L., Hand, K., & Qu, L. (2010). The Australian Institute of Family Studies Evaluation of the 2006 Family Law Reforms: Key findings. Australian Journal of Family Law, 24(1), 5-33.
• Gray, M., de Vaus, D., Qu, L. and Stanton, D. (2010). Divorce and the wellbeing of older Australians. (Research Paper No. 46). Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Gray, M. and Stanton D. (2010). Costs of children and equivalence scales: A review of methodological issues and Australian Estimate. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 13(1), 99-115.
• Kaspiew, R., Gray, M., Weston, R., Moloney, L., Hand, K., Qu, L., & the Family Law Evaluation Team. (2009). Evaluation of the 2006 family law reforms. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Gray, M., Edwards, B., Hayes, A., and Baxter, J. (2009). The impacts of recessions on families. Family Matters, 83, 7-14.
• Edwards, B., Gray M., Baxter, J., and Hunter, B. (2009). The tyranny of distance? Carers in regional and remote areas of Australia, Commissioned report, Carers Australia.
• Edwards, B., Wise, S., Gray, M., Hayes, A., Katz, I., Misson, S., Patulny, R. and Muir, K., (2009). Stronger Families in Australia study: The impact of Communities for Children. Occasional Paper No. 25, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
• Muir, K., Katz, I., Purcal, C., Patulny, R., Flaxman, S., Abello, D., Cortis, N., Thomson, C., Oprea, I., Wise, S., Edwards, B., Gray, M. and Hayes, A. (2009). National evaluation (2004–2008) of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy 2004–2009, Occasional Paper No. 24, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
• Gray, M. & Hunter, B. (2009). Families through Life: Selected issues for labour economists. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 12(1), 1-4.
• Baxter, J., Gray, M & Hayes, A. (2009). Diverse families making a difference. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Gray, M. & Smart, D. (2009). The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children: A Valuable New Data Source for Economists. Australian Economic Review, 42(3), 367-376.
• Edwards, B., Gray, M., & Hunter, B. (2009). A sunburnt country. The economic and financial impact of drought on rural and regional families in Australia in an era of climate change. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 12, 109-131.
• Gray, M., & Edwards, B. (2009). Determinants of the labour force status of female carers. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 12, 5-21.
• Hayes, A., Gray, M. C., & Edwards, B. (2008). Social inclusion: Origins, concepts and key themes (PDF 475 KB). Canberra: Social Inclusion Unit, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
• Gray, M. and Chapman, B. (2007). Relationship breakdown and the economic welfare of Australian mothers and their children. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 10(4), 253-277.
• Baxter, J., & Gray, M. (2008). Work and family responsibilities through life. Family Matters, 79, 58-61.
• Gray, M., & Smart, D. (2008). The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children is now walking and talking. Family Matters, 79, 5-13.
• Gray, M., & Baxter, J. (2008). Parent-only care: A child care choice for working couple families? Family Matters, 79, 42-49.
• Edwards, B., Higgins, D., Gray, M., Zmijewski, N., & Kingston, M. (2008). The nature and impact of caring for family members with a disability in Australia. (Research Report No. 16). Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Baxter, J., & Gray, M. (2008). Submission from the Australian Institute of Family Studies to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Paid Maternity, Paternity and Parental Leave. (PDF 611 KB) Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Hayes, A., & Gray, M. (2008). Social inclusion: A policy platform for those who live particularly challenged lives (PDF 364 KB) Family Matters, 78, 4-7.
• Gray, M., Edwards, B., & Zmijewski, N. (2008). Caring and women's labour market participation. Family Matters, 78, 28-35.
• Gray, M., Qu, L., & Weston, R. (2008). Fertility and family policy in Australia. (Research Paper No. 41). Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Baxter, J., Gray, M., Alexander, M., Strazdins, L., & Bittman, M. (2007). Mothers and fathers with young children: Paid employment, caring and wellbeing (Social Policy Research Paper 30). Canberra, ACT: Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
• de Vaus, D., Gray, M., Qu, L., & Stanton, D. (2008). The financial consequences of divorce for later life. In P. A. Kemp, K. Van den Bosch., & L. Smith (Eds.), International series on social security: Vol. 13. Social protection in an ageing world (pp. 257–278). Oxford, UK: Intersentia.
• Smyth, B., Weston, R., Moloney, L., Richardson, N., Qu, L., & Gray, M. (2007). Allegations of family violence and child abuse in family law children’s proceedings: A pre-reform empirical snapshot. Australian Journal of Family Law, 21, 252-287.
• Moloney, L., Smyth, B., Weston, R., Richardson, N., Qu, L., & Gray, M. (2007). Allegations of family violence and child abuse in family law children’s proceedings: A pre-reform exploratory study. (Research Report No. 15). Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Gray, M. Qu, L., Renda, J., & de Vaus D. (2006). Changes in the Labour Force Status of Lone and Couple Australian Mothers, 1983-2005. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 9(4), 395-416.
• Gray, M., & Renda, J. (2006). Reservation wages and the earnings capacity of lone and couple mothers: Are wage expectations too high? (Research Paper No. 37). Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Baxter, J., & Gray, M. (2006). Paid work characteristics of mothers with infants. Family Matters, 74, 34-41.
• Weston, R., & Gray, M. (2006). Assessing family and community life through the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey: An evaluation. Family Matters, 73, 32-37.
• Gray, M., & Chapman, B. (2006). Some labour market measurement issues for Indigenous Australians. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 9(1), 5-16.
• Hunter, B., & Gray, M. (2006). The effectiveness of Indigenous job search strategies. Economic Record, 82(256), 1-10.
• Altman, J., & Gray, M. (2005). The economic and social impacts of the CDEP scheme in remote Australia. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 40(3), 399-410.
• Gray, M. (2005). Costs of children and equivalence scales: A review of methodological issues and Australian estimates. In: In the best interests of children: Reforming the Child Support Scheme. Report of the Ministerial Taskforce on Child Support, Vol. 2, Research papers underpinning the Taskforce's approach. Canberra, ACT: Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
• Gray, M., Misson, S., & Hayes, A. (2005). Young children and their grandparents. Family Matters, 72, 10-17.
• Gray, M., & Hunter, B. (2005). The labour market dynamics of Indigenous Australians. Journal of Sociology, 41(4), 389-408.
• Gray, M., & Hughes, J. (2005). Caring for children and adults: Differential access to family-friendly work arrangements. Family Matters, 70, 18-25.
• Gray, M., Hunter, B., & Heath, A. (2005). The labour force dynamics of the marginally attached. Australian Economic Papers, 44(1), 1-14.