A sweeping summit of policy ideas on how to strengthen Australia’s future ended yesterday with proposals to push for a better understanding of Asia, improve water management systems and set up a preventative health agency funded by taxes on junk food.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has promised the government will respond by the end of the year but there is no guarantee any of the ideas will be implemented.
Rudd, who received a standing ovation from delegates at the close of the summit, praised the event as “a very Australian” conference that was “characterized by a whole lot of good humor, a whole lot of mutual respect, and a whole lot of very classical, undeniable Australian directness.”
The 1,002 delegates — experts, activists, politicians and celebrities including actors Cate Blanchett and Hugh Jackman — tackled everything from discrimination against Aborigines to healthcare.
The summit has been touted by the ruling Labor government as a way to harvest the best ideas for the future, but critics have derided it for trying to cover too much ground in too little time, and some delegates complained yesterday their ideas were not being heard.
Deputy opposition leader Julie Bishop said on Channel Nine television news many would be watching to see if the summit yields anything practical or was just a showcase for Rudd’s ego.
One of the most popular suggestions was a proposal that Australia break ties with the British crown and become a republic. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Sunday while the Labor government favors a republic, it’s not a top priority.
Smith pushed the need for increased understanding of Asia, saying it was important “not just from an international relations point of view but also from our young schoolchildren’s point of view.”
“We have to make Australia’s understanding of Asian literacy and Asian culture almost second nature to us,” he said.
On the environmental level, delegates expressed the importance of finding a way to preserve the water resources of northern Australia — a tropical, rainy climate — and use them to help the drought-stricken south.
Australia is in the midst of its worst drought, which has cut production of many crops ranging from wheat to wine grapes. The lack of rain has increased concerns that irrigation is permanently depleting major rivers, and some scientists argue that farmers should move from the south to the tropical north.
Other proposals included a preventative health agency that would promote healthier lifestyles and food choices, funded by taxes on alcohol, cigarettes and junk food. The Indigenous Affairs panel called for a new a framework to define the Aboriginal-government relationship. Some suggested a treaty that would legally outline the status and rights of Aborigines.
The creation of an independent federal commission to move to a “truly national, seamless economy” and reduce duplication in state and federal functions was proposed.
Not everyone was satisfied with the two days of brainstorming, with some delegates claiming their ideas were not being heard.
Delegate James Houston complained that Australia’s rural sector had been largely overlooked. Another delegate, Freda Briggs, said not enough consideration had been given to children and the challenges they face.
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