Looks like Rudd saw the 2020 Summit as an easy way to tick the Domestic Issues Box while pursuing his main aim - Saving the World through travel by jet (highly polluting).

2020 appeared more a photo opportunity - with Cate as the main prop - than a serious meeting on which solid plans for a republic (or otherwise) would be built.

Looks like the secret discussions of 2020 will now be massaged by unelected officials in PM&C - until squeezed into a speech for Rudd's end of year self-congratulation.

We have the Ambassador to China/Prime Minister we voted for - but perhaps for less than 3 more years.

Gough was a short-term globe visionary also...

Turnbull is looking better all the time.

Pete

Both the 1998 Convention and the 2020 Summit were pieces of theatre which attracted the media for a week. Life went on as normal after the Convention, as it has and will continue doing after the Rudd/Blanchett pantomime. Gesture politics was the name of the game in both cases.

It’s to be expected that different sorts of people attended the different politically inspired events, but none of these represented us, the people of Australia. So, who cares who they were? If any of their ideas are put to us in the future, we will then have our own say, unmoved by the participants of the circuses, most of whom we will have forgotten. We will remember Blanchett for her acting ability, perhaps, but certainly not for political nous, which she certainly does not have.

Professor Flint has rightly revealed the incompetence of the Summit, here and on other occasions, but I cannot recall anyone helping us out in same way with the Convention. Surely it wasn’t perfect!

Both the Convention and the Summit were ratbag events. “The contrast between the Rudd and Howard styles…” is of no moment to us.

What we should be demanding is better performances from elected governments of any shade, rather than the talk and blather we are increasingly subjected to. We certainly will not get this from politicians who call on their mates to tell them what to do instead of having their own policies and putting them into effect, with our permission.

Prof Flint, as usual, let's his obsession with retention of the British monarchy in the antipodes cloud his judgment of the 2020 summit. Was any other topic discussed Professor?

Dave, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't get a bait to it either. Indeed, I didn't hear of any farmers from around here getting an invite this time around, or to your own preferred gig a decade ago.

For the entertainment value though, if you've got a moment, could you one day address the idea of a Republican model in which Australians elect a locally born indigenous monarch? I think it'd be good read.

Anyhow, back to the tractor to do some real work. Thanks for the observations.

S.Bedak
"Lorraine"
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

Mr Flint is a person of undoubted intelligence with an excellent grasp of the English language. It surprises me that he would waste his time writing drivel such as this.There seems to be no apparent purpose.

ocm, I believe the expression you are looking for is: "he rattles like nuts in an empty calabash".

I recommend anyone who is thinking of reading the article read MrRight's comment instead.

con-sultation is a buzz word

Its easy to consult a small elite section of sociaty [thus they get self regulation] according to their elite needs,
but consulting the people en mass [something ideally done via a census like process] is rarelly if ever done [the only mass consultation i ever saw was the liberal questionare [just prior to howards election]

Even then the advice was only aimed in what words to say to get elected , but it worked ,he got in and stayed in till he fullfilled the liberal elitist wish list[privatised the infastructure , lifted the burdon from the rich and installed the full burdon and costs on the tax paying poor ,till 'death duties' indeed]

Public consultation is a farce ,people cant be divided into 10 groups, for true consultation people must feel they will be heard [but the adjenda allways ensures the same null affect]

the claytons affect ,looks good , feels good ,but does nothing.

I had hoped all the consultations would be noted [and the public let to chose via a comprehensive census paper ,on australia's future direction]
Instead we remain here overgoverened and unrepresented [and unheard because we are only part of the herd [masses forever not heard]

Media wont print our letters to the editer , public servants file it away ,posts get deleted ,courts shut us down,

We are having the demon-autocracy ,the elites and federal state and municipial public servants sought to intrench the silent majority into
perpetual serf dumbdumbed down by the public REeduvcation sustem.

[and the en riched elite to rule over us ,till into their generouse unconditional public service pension and a few boadroom seat's allow them to comfortably retire ?]