PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd’s 2020 Summit, to be attended by 1000 of Australia’s top thinkers next month, has been hailed as a positive move by several key Church figures.
Catholic Social Service Australia’s executive director Frank Quinlan, St Vincent de Paul Society’s national chief executive officer Dr John Falzon and Australian Catholic University’s vice-chancellor Professor Greg Craven all expressed support for what they saw as the basis for a national approach to a range of emerging social, economic, environmental, cultural and political problems.
However, Catholic Religious Australia executive director Christian Brother Laurie Needham said while the summit “was a fine idea” it needed to “find a place that helps the Parliament and does not take over from it”.
Prof Craven questioned some commentators’ concerns that the gathering would turn into a “talkfest” and thus achieve nothing of value.
“Australia has a long history of serious debate outside politics that produces real results,” he said.
“What a lot of people don’t realise is that the very existence of Australia – its creation as a federation in the years after the constitutional convention of 1891 – came about as a result of what people at the time called ‘talkfests’ or words to that effect.”
Prof Craven said while he did not see it as appropriate to nominate himself, he certainly felt in his position it was a good thing to select people he saw as suitable, and nominate them.
More than 7000 nominations for the April 19-20 summit were received by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s official selection committee.
Delegates will be divided into 10 groups of 100, and will be chosen for their expertise in the economy, infrastructure, climate change, rural Australia, health, communities and families, indigenous Australia, creative Australia, governance, and Australia’s future in the world.
Dr Falzon said he had lodged an expression of interest to attend because the summit’s goals were a close fit with the St Vincent de Paul Society’s national vision.
“Vinnies since 2001 has been calling for such a summit to address the causes of poverty and inequality in Australia,” he said.
“We are therefore delighted that a summit is being convened to address these issues in concert with the whole range of social, economic, environmental, cultural and political issues.
Mr Quinlan said he had the sense that a high level of applications had come from across the social service network because “so many areas in the summit touch on issues that are relevant to service organisations”.
He said it was good that the summit was taking such a long-term view of issues affecting Australia’s future.
Br Needham said he “found it distasteful for an organisation like CRA to lobby for this or that one from amongst its own members”.
“I would like to see people invited to the summit on their own merits, not because they have been able to mount a campaign to get chosen,” he said.
Br Needham said that on a “personal level” he was a “strong supporter of the supremacy of Parliament in deciding the important issues facing the nation”.
“The summit is a fine idea, but it needs to find a place that helps the Parliament and does not take over from it.”
