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I saw Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz speak at ANU back when I worked there in the early 2010s. A hugely engaging speaker, he held the sell-out crowd – many of us non-economists – in the palm of his hand.

But what I remember most is his arrival. The officials had cleared a few VIP car parks out front of Llewellyn Hall, for diplomats and other high-ups. When a battered 4-cylinder puttered through the cordon, security tried to shoo it away, until they realised the car contained the guest speaker. He was being delivered by his mate – Bruce Champman – who had sorted the........

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