[LINK] Australia 2020 Summit Response

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

Tom Worthington wrote:
> The Australian Government issued "Responding to the Australia 2020 
> Summit" on 22 April 2009 <http://www.australia2020.gov.au/response/>. 
> This 262 page document is in response to a summit held 19 to 20 April 
> 2008. A final report from the summit was issued, 31 May 2008 but it 
> has taken the government almost a year to respond.
>   
Some people think the summit was a big waste of time. I can't say I'm 
all that impressed by the outcome. Either the "best and brightest" 
aren't very, or our politicians don't like big ideas. I know which my 
money is on.

Rudd response shrinks 2020 summit's big picture
Editorial
April 24, 2009
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/editorial/rudd-response-shrinks-2020-summits-big-picture-20090423-agr3.html
 
IS THAT it? A year after 1002 of the nation's "best and brightest" 
brought a heady mix of energy, enthusiasm and "big ideas" to the 2020 
Summit in Canberra, the Federal Government has announced an 
underwhelming response. Of the delegates' rich mix of 962 ideas, it has 
formally adopted only nine modest proposals. The seismic upheavals of 
the past year have changed political priorities but, even so, sceptics 
who variously derided the event as a talkfest and celebrity circus are 
likely to feel vindicated.

The delegates, who were urged to think big, might wonder why they 
bothered now that they see how pointedly the Government's small-scale 
response excludes the summit's big ideas. For an exercise supposedly 
focused on generating ideas from outside government about how best to 
advance Australia, a formal acceptance rate of one in 107 is not exactly 
a productive outcome. It is not that the nine ideas adopted lack merit, 
but the most notable feature of the Government's response is the 
exclusion of most of the priorities that emerged from the so-called 
national conversation at the summit.
.... etc

-- 
 
Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd at iimetro.com.au