Key Highlights

  • Marnie Baker AM's address at the ARCA Credit Summit on 12 November has been cancelled.
  • Governor Michele Bullock is due on an ASIC Annual Forum panel on 17 November.
  • David Jacobs, Head of Domestic Markets, speaks in Sydney on 25 November.
  • The next scheduled cash rate decision remains 8 December 2026.

A scheduled speech by Monetary Policy Board member Marnie Baker AM at the ARCA Credit Summit has been cancelled, but the Reserve Bank's calendar still lists several public appearances before the month is out.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) calendar for 12 November 2026 included a speech by Marnie Baker AM, a member of the Monetary Policy Board, at the ARCA Credit Summit on the Gold Coast. The entry now carries a short note: "Unfortunately, unforeseen family circumstances prevent Marnie's attendance at this event."

The cancellation removes one of the month's scheduled opportunities to hear from a member of the board that sets the cash rate. It does not leave the calendar empty. Over the following fortnight, the Governor, another board member and a senior RBA official are all listed to appear.

Why board members' speeches draw attention

The Monetary Policy Board's decision on 3 November was not unanimous. The board raised the cash rate target by 25 basis points to 4.85 per cent, with six members voting to increase and three voting to leave the rate unchanged at 4.60 per cent.

A split vote naturally prompts interest in the views of individual members. Speeches by board members can offer insight into how they think about the economy, although any individual speech reflects one person's perspective rather than a collective position.

The voices still to come

According to the RBA website calendar, the remaining scheduled appearances in November include:

  • 17 November, 10.00 am AEDT: Governor Michele Bullock on a panel at the ASIC Annual Forum in Sydney.
  • 20 November: Renée Fry-McKibbin, a member of the Monetary Policy Board, at CAMA in Canberra.
  • 25 November: David Jacobs, Head of Domestic Markets, speaking at the Australian securitisation conference in Sydney.

The calendar entries give the event, place and date.

The Governor on 17 November

Ms Bullock's panel appearance falls on the same morning that the minutes of the November Monetary Policy Board meeting are released, at 11.30 am AEDT. The panel is scheduled for 10.00 am AEDT, an hour and a half earlier.

The Governor last spoke publicly on policy at her media conference on 3 November. There she said: "Returning Inflation to target is our priority, and we will do what is necessary to achieve that." She also said: "Some pain now will prevent even worse pain down the track." And, on the source of current price pressures: "we are not tightening monetary policy because of the direct impact of oil prices on inflation."

A board member in Canberra on 20 November

Given the split vote, it is likely to be watched with interest, though again the calendar does not indicate its content.

Markets focus on 25 November

David Jacobs, Head of Domestic Markets, is listed to speak at the Australian Securitisation conference in Sydney on 25 November. The same day brings the October release of the monthly CPI indicator. The setting suggests a markets audience, but the specifics of the address are not set out in the calendar.

Voices already heard this month

November has already been a busy month for RBA communication. Beyond the Governor's media conference, two senior figures delivered major speeches.

On 5 November, Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser delivered the Sir Leslie Melville Lecture at the Australian National University in Canberra, titled "Trust, Expectations and Monetary Policy". He said: "So trust isn't just a source of legitimacy – it's integral to how monetary policy actually works." He also cautioned: "A reserve of trust is not a licence to disappoint." Drawing on the RBA's Community Research Survey, he noted that about 55 per cent of Australians have "high" or "moderately high" trust in the RBA.

On 9 November, Assistant Governor (Economic) Sarah Hunter spoke at the UBS Australasia Conference in Sydney on the economic effects of artificial intelligence.

The economic backdrop for every speaker

Whoever speaks, the backdrop is the same. The November Statement on Monetary Policy reported that "Headline inflation was 3.9 per cent over the year to the September quarter and trimmed mean inflation was 3.7 per cent." The monthly CPI indicator, a separate measure, showed headline inflation of 4.3 per cent in the year to the September month. The Statement's outlook said: "Headline inflation is expected to peak at 4.5 per cent in the December 2026 quarter".

On the labour market, the Statement noted: "The Unemployment rate rose by more than expected to average 4.6 per cent in the September quarter." The forecasts have it rising to 5.1 per cent by December 2028.

These are the figures that any RBA speaker this month will be speaking against, whatever their specific topic.

The bottom line

Marnie Baker AM's scheduled address at the ARCA Credit Summit on 12 November has been cancelled due to unforeseen family circumstances, according to the RBA. That still leaves Governor Michele Bullock's ASIC Annual Forum panel on 17 November, board member Renée Fry-McKibbin's appearance at CAMA on 20 November and Head of Domestic Markets David Jacobs's speech on 25 November. After a split decision to raise the cash rate to 4.85 per cent, these appearances are among the few scheduled chances to hear from RBA figures before the next decision at 2.30 pm on 8 December.