Ausbuy

2020 Summit

April 24th, 2008

 The 2020 Summit has come and gone and Ausbuy has analysed the results. We realise that the Government has given no undertaking that any of the suggestions will be translated into legislation. This is wise as many of the ideas put forward are contradictory or will cost more than the country can afford. Despite this, the Summit offered an example of democracy in action and as a PR exercise it highlighted long term problems. As we understood, the Government will use some of the suggestions in arriving at a long term strategy. The problems which demand immediate action will be tackled in the normal course of running the country. This effort to plan for the next 12 years highlighted the problems of the three year electoral cycle. 2020 is four elections away and it is very difficult for any government to bind its successors.Many of the ideas which made it through to the final report represented the pleading of special interest groups and ideas which were already out in the public arena. Some were obviously impractical. An example of this is the one of connecting primary teachers to our scientists on the assumption that as well as doing their own jobs they can deal with primary school queries. We also had the normal conflict where big business wants to pay less tax and other interests want to spend more.

Despite these reservations we felt that it was good to see problems identified and discussed by members of the public with specialised skill in a certain area. However we were concerned about the issues which were not discussed. Among these are:

• Australia is running a record Balance of Trade Deficit in the middle of the biggest mining boom in Australia’s history. What can we do to prepare for the time when the boom comes to an end?
• How do we tackle our ever growing foreign debt?
• Our ability to sell our manufactured output either overseas or in Australia is been killed by an overvalued A$ but this is the only thing holding inflation in check.
• How do we involve our businesses in skills training? It is cheaper to import skilled staff from overseas. Perhaps a training levy should be introduced.
• How to encourage manufacturing in Australia given the overvalued A$ and the high add-on costs of doing business.
• The foreign investment and trade practices legislation should be redrafted to protect and keep in Australian hands growing companies.

The above are just a few of the long term issues not dealt with. However, other very real and complex issues have been raised which require an enormous amount of work. Examples of these are a bill of rights, a republic, immigration policy, reform of the State/Federal structure, provision of power and water to service our economy and the very role of government itself. These are difficult and complex issues which are by their very nature likely to be divisive if not handled properly. Ausbuy regards the Summit as the first step along a very challenging road.

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