nofarken...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
> On Apr 19, 7:34 pm, lynx <n...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > Sir John Howard wrote:
> > >http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23564255-2,00.html
> >
> > > DELEGATES at the 2020 summit in Canberra have been telling each
other
> > > about the potentially calamitous problems and the terrific
> > > op****tunities that Australia faces in the coming years - and that
they
> > > have just one day left to cover them all.
> >
> > > High-profile delegates - and Cate Blanchett's baby - spent the day
> > > talking at Parliament House about the big ideas they have for the
> > > country's future. They have been split into 10 policy areas and
after
> > > a group phase, split into sub-groubs within those "streams".
> >
> > > The summiteers have to come up with one big idea and three practical
> > > ideas by the end of the summit tomorrow. One of the concrete policy
> > > ideas must be able to be implemented at no cost or next-to-no cost.
> >
> > > With some branding the event a "talkfest", it was argued the biggest
> > > issue would be how the Rudd Government responded in accepting or
> > > rejecting ideas put forward.
> >
> > > The summit started this morning and will be over by 3pm tomorrow,
with
> > > the delegates having just four minutes to outline their ideas.
> >
> > > "I think we need to ask ourselves whether 1000 people over a weekend
> > > will be able to come up with anything meaningful," Opposition Leader
> > > Brendan Nelson has said.
> >
> > > Republic
> >
> > > As expected, the republic featured prominently in the governance
> > > stream, with most delegates favouring constitutional change in the
> > > next two years.
> >
> > > The group showed their sup****t for a rapid removal of the monarchy
> > > from the Australian system, voting for a deadline of 2010 after a
12-
> > > year timeline received lukewarm sup****t. Labor MP Maxine McKew, in
> > > charge of that stream, urged delegates to show more passion for the
> > > subject after their initial recommendations failed to draw even a
> > > single "whoop" from the group.
> >
> > > In the health stream, delegates sup****ted increases in taxes on
> > > alcohol, cigarettes and junk food as well as the establishment of a
> > > health inequalities commission.
> >
> > > Another idea was to establish a "Healthbook" service modelled on
> > > Facebook, which would allow users to share health information with
> > > selected others.
> >
> > > For those tackling indigenous issues, a treaty with the government
was
> > > the top priority. It would "formally recognise Aboriginal and
Torres
> > > Strait Islander people as the first people of Australia, involving a
> > > legal agreement as to the status, rights and obligations of
indigenous
> > > people and the Australian government," said delegate Janina Gawler.
> >
> > > Delegates also heard ideas for an indigenous future fund to be set
up
> > > to provide ongoing funding for future programs, as well as the re-
> > > establishment of a peak indigenous body.
> >
> > > Darker vision
> >
> > > International relations expert Alan Dupont told the security stream
of
> > > the summit that climate change, pandemic disease, food, water and
> > > energy scarcity and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
were
> > > the key issues.
> >
> > > "While it is less likely that states are going to use nuclear
weapons
> > > these days, the general consensus in the field is that if terrorists
> > > were to get hold of them they would probably use them," Professor
> > > Dupont said.
> >
> > > Former defence chief General Peter Cosgrove said the traditional
view
> > > of national security as related solely to the defence forces had to
> > > change.
> >
> > > "So we have to build an independent international relations policy.
> > > This is not code for no more alliance (with the United States)," he
> > > said. "We have to have an Australian view which is specific to our
> > > own future."
> >
> > > Pace of change
> >
> > > Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told delegates the point of the summit was
> > > to acknowledge that politicians do not have all the answers and that
> > > the government was instead throwing open the windows to let in some
> > > fresh ideas.
> >
> > > "Some of these ideas we will be able to embrace, others we will not,
> > > and some we will take in part and change," he said.
> >
> > > He said change occurred at a breathtaking pace, comparing today to
12
> > > years ago, when there were 3 million fewer Australians.
> >
> > > "Only one in three households had a mobile phone. We were barely
using
> > > email or the internet," he said. "Just 300,000 home computer users
> > > were connected to the internet at home.
> >
> > > "We had never heard of Facebook, we had never heard of MySpace, nor
> > > even Google."
> >
> > > Mr Rudd said the challenges the nation now faced were unprecedented
in
> > > complexity and intensity, with climate change a pressing concern.
> >
> > > Supermum Cate
> >
> > > Australian actor Hugh Jackman said he would focus on promoting the
> > > arts in education, then praised fellow actor Blanchett for
committing
> > > to co-chair a meeting just days after giving birth.
> >
> > > "I have given her my kids - she is looking after them for the
> > > weekend," he joked.
> >
> > > "Cate Blanchett is superwoman ... she is flawless as a person and I
am
> > > thrilled that she is leading our stream."
> >
> > > Blanchett told the delegates taking part in the creative stream of
the
> > > summit she expected six-day-old Ignatius Martin Upton to benefit
from
> > > the ideas coming out of it.
> >
> > > "He will be starting high school by 2020," Blanchett said. "He is a
> > > lucky bugger - I hope."
> >
> > > Opening the meeting, and occasionally interrupted by a vocal
Ignatius,
> > > Blanchett admitted bed had been a tempting option this weekend.
> >
> > > "It is a measure of my belief in the weekend that I am here at all,
as
> > > you could imagine I would rather be in bed," she said.
> >
> > > Bad mix?
> >
> > > The chief secretary of the Salvation Army, James Condon, criticised
> > > organisers for seeking to champion the cause of the oppressed, the
> > > marginalised and the disadvantaged without actually including any of
> > > their ranks in the summit's working groups.
> >
> > > "Where are the homeless people? Where are the people who've been
> > > addicted to alcohol? Where are the gambling addicts?" he asked.
> >
> > > However, organisers are hopeful they have ended one criticism - on
the
> > > male-female make-up of the talks - by ensuring more women are
> > > involved.
> >
> > > ----------------------------
> >
> > > Blanchett's baby apparently had plenty to say.
> >
> > Krudd was on the news tonite talking about opening Australia's windows
> > to let in fresh air! What a wanker! The whole thing makes me puke.
What
> > is this?? government by a leftist think tank!? did anyone by any
chance
> > come up with the idea of bringing John Howard back to run the country?
> > and kicking Krudd out? That would be the best idea to come out of it!
> >
> > --
> > rgds,
> >
> > Pete
> > =====http://pw352.blogspot.com/
> > 'I'm not young enough to know everything' -Oscar Wilde
>
> Just heard the latest from this wankfest tonight on the late ABC news
> update. Can you believe the complete and total utter STUPIDITy of
> these "best and brightest?" Some FOOL wants to make it illegal for
> politicians to LIE!!!!!!
>
> Imagine this - every question time will result in a swarm of by-
> elections, every kerb side interview will result in a GET INTO JAIL
> FREE card. For **** sakes, lying is as natural to these fat bastards
> as it is to piss up on cheap quality booze at our expense every day of
> the week.
>
> Of course, the best and brightest haven't, apparently, come up with a
> suitable punishment for lying politicians.
Public hanging perhaps?
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