Australia 2020 Summit

On 3 February the Australian Government announced it will hold an Australia 2020 Summit at Parliament House in Canberra, 19 to 20 April 2008. One thousand Australians will be invited to help with a long term strategy for the Australia's future in ten areas:

1. Economy: education, skills, training, science and innovation as part of the nation’s productivity agenda
2. Infrastructure: the digital economy and cities
3. Sustainability: Population, sustainability, climate change, and water
4. Rural: Future directions for rural industries and communities
   
5. Health: A long-term national strategy; including the challenges of preventative health, workforce planning and the ageing population
6. Communities: Strengthening and supporting families and social inclusion
7. Indigenous Australia:Options for the future of
8. Creative Australia: The future of the arts, film and design
9. Governance: The future of Australian democracy, a more open government (including the role of the media), the structure of the Federation and the rights and responsibilities of citizens
10. Security: Australia’s future s and prosperity in a rapidly changing region and world.

The idea of everyone collecting in one place for two days to work out the future of a nation is a quaint last century idea. The Australian Government should look to the technology it already has available, to allow it to involve many more people over a longer timescale. The event could still be held as a symbolic and ceremonial one to look at what was found online.