Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08CANBERRA403
2008-04-21 23:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Canberra
Cable title:  

RUDD HOLDS SUMMIT OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST

Tags:  PGOV SOCI AS 
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RR RUEHPT
DE RUEHBY #0403/01 1122340
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R 212340Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9420
INFO RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE 5184
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 3467
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 3375
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CANBERRA 000403 

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI AS
SUBJECT: RUDD HOLDS SUMMIT OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CANBERRA 000403

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SENSITIVE
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI AS
SUBJECT: RUDD HOLDS SUMMIT OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd convened a summit
of 1000 of Australia's "brightest and best" on the weekend of
April 19-20 to discuss ways of addressing long-term
challenges facing Australia. The high-profile summit,
"Australia 2020," produced a number of proposals, many of
which were in reality slight variations of old ideas such as
reforming the Federal structure, Australia becoming a
republic (which received the most applause from the
delegates),reviewing federal and state taxes, banning
marketing of junk food to children, and a treaty with the
Aborigines. The summit appears to have been a political
success for Rudd, bolstering his image as a consensus
politician open to new ideas from non-politicians. While
most of the proposals are unlikely to be adopted, Rudd has
promised to respond to all the ideas presented at the Summit
by the end of the year. END SUMMARY.

RUDD'S SUMMIT


2. (U) On April 19-20. Rudd co-chaired a summit of 1000 of
Australia's "best and brightest" at Parliament House,
Canberra, to respond to long-term challenges facing
Australia. The attendees included human rights lawyers,
academics, celebrities (such as Cate Blanchett and Hugh
Jackman),indigenous rights activists, Republic supporters,
the elderly, and labor delegates. When he announced the
summit on February 3, Rudd said "for too long Australian
policymaking has been focused on short-term outcomes dictated
by the electoral cycle. If Australia is to effectively
confront the challenges of the future, we need to develop an
agreed national direction that looks at the next 10 years and
beyond." The summit was divided into ten groups of 100 which
focused on "10 critical discussion areas." Each group was
tasked with coming up with three proposals.

THE IDEAS


3. (U) At the opening of the summit, Rudd promised the
Government would responding to each of the recommendations
presented by the end of the year. At the summit's
conclusion, each group presented its findings. Proposals
included:

-- a process to move to an Australian republic (this received
the biggest applause),

-- increasing formal recognition of Aborigines, with the
possibility of a treaty,

-- an "opt-out" scheme for organ donations (organs
automatically donated unless you opt out),

-- creation of a "community corps" to allow students to
reduce their HECS (the equivalent of student loans) through
volunteer work,

-- a national preventative health care agency funded by taxes
on cigarettes, alcohol and junk food,

-- a review of federal and state taxes,

-- a Federation commission to review the roles of federal,
state and local government,

-- the Government would use all its tools - spending, tax,
regulation, and investment - to address pressing
environmental issues like climate change,

-- delivery of child care, pre-schools, schools and child
health services from single center (proposed by Rudd prior to
the Summit),

-- every government department to divert one percent of its
budget into arts funding,

-- greater investment in the teaching of Asian languages,

-- present a report on the state of the US/Australia alliance
every three years, and

-- a rights-based labor mobility program for the Pacific.

OLD IDEAS BUT MORE WORK FOR MINISTERS


4. (SBU) COMMENT: With all the policy work government
ministers are already doing through the Council of Australian
Governments' agenda - much of which overlaps the proposals
from the Summit - they will now have to examine and report on
every Summit proposal by the end of the year. Critics of the
Qevery Summit proposal by the end of the year. Critics of the
Summit, notably former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer,

CANBERRA 00000403 002 OF 002


pointed out that the governance panel was intentionally
stocked with pro-Republic delegates. Be that as it may, the
call for a Republic may have created a momentum that will be
difficult to stop. Some of the more practical ideas, such as
a one-stop shop for child care and children's health
services, are already being tested by the states. While
child health plus day care in one location is an interesting
proposal, the press has already noted that the cost to roll
it out nationwide would be astronomical.


5. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: The Summit, as a means of
building grass roots support for policy ideas early in a new
administration, is something "New Labor" politicians like
Tony Blair had already pioneered. Rudd will need to show
that the Summit actually produced some useful policy
proposals without letting more divisive issues like the
Republic build-up too much momentum.

MCCALLUM