The G20 is being held in Brisbane next weekend. The city feels like it is going to go into lock down mode. But what will be achieved? Joe Hockey wants to lift international growth and Kevin Rudd agrees that it can be achieved.

Can it? Will anything be achieved?

Will Brisbane even score the minimal achievement of gaining some "free" publicity from it?

Do meetings of international heads really achieve anything at all?

And is it seriously so difficult to protect Barrack Obama that the US government needed to rewire a whole floor in a Brisbane hotel? http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/barack-obamas-security-team-strips-floor-of-marriott-hotel-ahead-of-g20-in-brisbane/story-fnn8dlfs-1227117673667

Well it should give lots of lovely overtime for casual hotel & convention centre staff. Not sure that is a good reason for all that jetting around though.

Probably cost many business a fortune, when their trade is disrupted.

You would reckon Obama would be completely downgraded as a target, now he is a completely lame duck. Surely now, someone would only bother with him for some personal gripe.

I have been eagerly watching all the news about our PM during trade talks in China, and waiting to see him 'shirt-front' Putin, but nothing so far!

So I am looking forward to the G20 to see him really give it to the
Russian here at home :).

International leader's meetings like the G20 give our leaders the chance to talk to each other face to face about important issues, so one would hope that any promises made may be more likely to be kept?
At the very least, it should be good for Queensland's economy anyway.

Grahame, "Do meetings of international heads really achieve anything at all?" Not really, if the rest of their body don't turn up! Australia will be well represented by our very own talking head the Mad Monk himself, Tony Baloney. Its just like an episode of 'Yes Prime Minister.'
Suse, please do not be concerned! Tones's practicing his Russian at this very moment so he can "Shirt front" Puntin from behind. I can just imagine Our Tone at the official banquette, yelling out across the room to the Chinese leader, "More spring rolls for Mr Wong!...those chows love me spring rolls, got em' from The Golden Dragon in Dixon Street just for you"
Do you think they will be having one of those official photo shoots at the end, you know, the one where all the heads dress up in fancy national costume of the host nation? Will they all be in aboriginal garb with boomerangs (made in China of course world trade and all that) and carrying a stuffed kola each (also made in China, world trade again).
Glade to see Africa is well represented this time around, but I do hope Barack Obama is not just there as a bit of tokenism. LOL

G20 Meetings are very important, as everyone is well aware the 2013 G20 Meeting in St Petersberg, set out the St Peterberg Action Plan, we all remember that one, which built on the 2010 Soul Multi-Year Action Plan, a memorable action plan if ever there was an action plan. Which in turn is open for action planning of an action plan in Brisbane in 2014, this of course will all be carried forward for incorporation into the 2016 Action Plan scheduled for, I don't know where. The main thrust of the past action plans has been their decided lack of action, but who knows, some world leader may come up with a brilliant idea, and you never know, we may see some action plan action.
Hasbeen, you are probably right on this one.

Yes with Fuhrer Abbott at the helm of the ship of fools, all we are likely to see is democracy in-action, communism inaction, climate rationalism inaction and many other forms of ongoing inaction...more of the same from the usual suspects I would think.