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Australians buzzing over idea summit

Dumping Britain’s monarch as head of state, finding new ways to tackle Aboriginal inequality and shifting people from the country’s drought-struck south to the northern tropics are among the ideas to be discussed at a summit on Australia’s future.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has invited 1,000 of what he calls Australia’s “best and brightest” minds to a two-day brainstorming session starting today that could end up forming government policy.

While there are 10 official topics — including health, the economy, the environment and the arts — just about anything is open for discussion. That has already resulted in some quirky suggestions and presents a challenge to panelists who must whittle the number of ideas down to about 10 key policy proposals to be handed to the government.

Critics call the event a farce with too many ideas and too little time, but Rudd says the summit’s wide-ranging nature is part of its appeal. He hopes it will make Australians feel included in decision-making and “shake some new ideas loose from the tree” for the future direction of the nation.

Some new ideas, indeed. How about an official government reminder to chew celery after each meal to help prevent tooth decay? Or building retirement communities atop shopping centers so the elderly won’t be bored and their families can combine shopping with a visit to the grandparents?

“Send more people up to Darwin,” one person suggested in a submission to the summit’s official Web site, reasoning that the tropical capital of the Northern Territory had enough rainfall to provide water for those coming from dryer parts of the country.

The summit has had Australia buzzing, with radio talk shows inviting listeners to phone in their ideas, and more than 8,700 submissions to the Web site for potential topics of discussion.

The 1,000 delegates include politicians, scientists, activists and even celebrities. Actress Cate Blanchett will co-chair the creativity panel just six days after giving birth to her third child.

While some of the public’s input has been flippant, most submissions have attempted to seriously address issues facing the nation such as education, water shortages, obesity and Aboriginal equality.

In an emotional plea to delegates, Aboriginal leader Doreen Green asked them to demand a ban on the sale of alcohol in indigenous communities in Western Australia where youth suicides and crimes are on the rise.

On the Web site, Tony Mack proposed easing the urban population squeeze with government land giveaways and low-interest loans to rehabilitate and settle Australia’s Outback. Olive Weir condemned a government payment to new parents — known as the baby bonus — as encouraging poor young women to have children.

“Whoever dreamed up this nonsense should be shot!” she wrote, proposing the money instead be used for education or tax refunds.

Rudd has his own pet ideas. Yesterday he said he’d like a debate on whether Australia should break its ties with the British monarchy.

“I want to hear what people have got to say on it, because if we’re going to move forward we’ll need a consensus,” Rudd said.

Each of the 10 panels is expected to present at least one official policy proposal to the government at the close of the summit.

Rudd said he would respond to the suggestions by the end of the year.

“If we get a dozen or so good ideas for the future out of this, it will be a weekend well spent,” he said.
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