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.

Tone's been caught out again, hiding things! This time its $50,000 on luxury accommodation at the swanky five star Fairmont Marques Resort for business buddies during this G20 talk fest. Not accounted for in the costings, hidden from the taxpayer!

Dear Graham,

We can only hope that a consensus will be
achieved in Bribane. I guess we'll have to
wait and see. However, we should not knock
the attempt to try. Doing nothing, doesn't
seem like such a good idea. And world leaders
talking to each other surely can't be a bad
thing. The following link gives the G20
Priorities:

It tells us that "As G20 chair in 2014,
Australia has developed with members an agenda to
structure leaders' discussion of the Brisbane
Summit on practical outcomes around the key
themes of -

* Promoting stronger economic growth and
employment outcomes.

* Making the global economy more reilient to
deal with future shocks.

* Strengthening global institutions to ensure
they reflect the new realities of the global
economy.

You can download the strategies to be used from
the link:

http://www.g20.org/g20_priorities

And this link gives what has to be done for
the summit to be a success in Brisband:

http://www.cfr.org/councilofcouncils/global_memos/p33705

Hi there GRAHAM...

Your question, '...will the G20 meeting in Brisbane achieve anything...' ? Probably not, though by hosting such an august event, at least the participants are not fighting each other. And the local Brisbane service industry will be making a lot of money by having them, and their enormous retinues there ?

The massive preparations that are made for President OBAMA alone, I find extraordinary. I realise all US leaders are targets, nevertheless, more is not necessarily better ? Some years ago I was involved with President BUSH (senior's) security, and there's no doubt the Secret Service know their stuff, but boy they don't like us locals suggesting or interfering with their strategic measures too much ! Still, individually they're great blokes and girls and very, very friendly.

Foxy I read the links you gave.
The paragraph on Financial had a reference;
>The G20 should focus on strengthening the governance
and operations of the Financial Stability Board (FSB).

I gather from other reports that the power of the board to
seize depositors funds is to be affirmed and legal position affirmed.
You will hear next to nothing about this, it will be buried in public
service gobble de gook.

They are going to discuss growth targets and there appears to be a
suggestion of an additional 2% growth.
No mention where they are going to get the energy to do this.
They still have not twigged why growth everywhere is either static
or falling. Note the fall in oil prices, volatile prices are a feature of
production decline and or demand failure.
Demand has fallen because people and industry could not afford the previous prices.
As the price continues a bit lower, the drilling rig count in the US will
fall a lot further before prices will rise again late next year ?
Then production will decline because of the fall in drilling rigs.
So we will see the continuing oscillation until around 2020 when decline will be permanent.

The point of the G20 is to get the decision makers in one place. The lower level flunkies can discuss but not make any decisions.

The forum is the place where top business men from all over the world meet along with those that make decisions. Often the greatest outcomes come from side meetings.

Where are men and women that believed in themselves and port forth a steadfast opinion. I'm tired of spandex salespeople (journalists and politicians alike)..

Keep a close eye on their plans to finalise "bail in". ie the confiscation of bank deposits when our banks get into trouble. They have promised there will be no more "bail outs". As depositors we are classified as unsecured lenders to the banks.

http://cecaust.com.au/releases/2014_06_11_Bail_In_G20.html

Seems like a lot of waste given a couple of options available
- a significant proportion of them seem to be already together at APEC, those hotel refits, security preperations, flying around of presidential limos and helicopters probably all already occurred for APEC. Why not have had the two meetings in the same place back to back.
- Telconferencing should be able to provide most of the same interactions at far lower cost and with a massivly lower carbon footprint. In the real world many of us have to be able to work constructively with people we don't see face to face. Political bosses could teleconference every week or month if they wanted to keep group dialog happening.

There may be some real value in face to face but in terms of leading by example there would also be real value in cutting out extravagance.

R0bert

Robert Robert; They are politicians !

Face to face meetings between leaders, is not where decisions are made. Realistically Obama does not make a decisions on his own, on the spot, based on what The Mad Monk or any other leader would say. All Abbott can do is state our governments view/position on a particular issue and hope when the Americans make a decision, Australia's opinion will be taken somewhat into account. Ha ha.
Normally Australia's position is rather subservient to the point of being sycophantic at times, we are not in a position of leadership on world issues, despite what Abbott might think.

Paul,

I agree with your comment "we are not in a position of leadership on world issues,"

It was exactly the position I was taking when Juliar was pushing the world's biggest carbon tax saying it was Australia's duty to lead the world.

It also changes the entirely philosophy to do with dealing with carbon.

Shadow,

I totally agree with this "when Juliar was pushing the world's biggest carbon tax saying it was Australia's duty to lead the world.
It also changes the entirely philosophy to do with dealing with carbon."

Someone has to take initiative and it really helpful to change the minds of people, its possible only when we acquiring the leadership....

Shadow, things develop quickly on the world stage, and poor old Tone's been left out in the cold once more. Seems China and the US have struck an ambitious deal to cut carbon emissions. Obama didn't bother to run it by Tone first for the okay, strange that. Do you think Tone should 'shirt front' Obama on over than one. LOL
The deal between the worlds two biggest economies has been nine months in the making.

Check this one out Tone's not even in the picture.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/us-china-reach-carbon-emissions-deal-20141112-11l2ro.html

Australia is now very much out of step with the rest of the world when it comes to climate action.
Is the best we can offer a maybe 5% cut in emissions on 2000 levels by 2020. The US has promised a 26% to 28% cut on 2005 levels by 2025. 20% of China's total energy to be renewable by 2030. Others, Britain has promised 80% cut on 1990 levels by 2050 and 20% achieved by 2020. Even Abbott's mates in Canada are up for 17% cut on 2005 levels by 2020, although Canada may not reach the 17% target, but it will be well above Australia's 5%. New name for Tone, 'The Isolated Abbott'.

Do you think that kind of stupidity, [or intentional damage], Obama is displaying just might have something to do the flogging he & his lefty party copped at their election?

I suppose the greens will score OK by keeping the stupid Labor mob holding their silly policies, but don't expect to get back into power with them. Sensible people will run a mile from carbon taxes, & boat people when they have to put their mark on a ballot paper.

Paul,

I love the way that the greens grasp at straws. What most experienced veterans take away from the "climate agreement" is that both China and the US have pledged aspirational goals, both which largely will be achieved without any carbon pricing.

The US's emissions are presently dropping because of the rapid expansion of cheap coal seam gas (which the greens are blocking in Aus) which is replacing the aging coal fired plants with cheaper energy, and China which is energy poor and building whatever they can get their hands on including 200 odd nuclear reactors (which the greens are also blocking), a coal fired plant a week and plenty of renewables. In spite of this China's emissions will keep growing until 2030.

So no TA is not stranded.

The "Theodore Roosevelt" aircraft carrier, at 104,000 long tons, would be more than adequate to host the G20 Summit; the delegates +++ could be flown on board and security and protesters would be no problem and the people of Brisbane could be left alone to enjoy their boring city.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Theodore_Roosevelt_(CVN-71)

Oh come on Is Mise, with no luxury limousines, or penthouse suites full of hot & cold dancing girls, you couldn't possibly have a summit in such low a brow environment.

Hell, haven't you heard, our navy has it's newest & most luxurious ship, with accommodation much better than ever seen for our defence force previously, up at Manus to house the bureaucrats minding the boat people up there.

There was talk of them going on strike due to the poor conditions they believed our navy's best was.

Come to think of it, perhaps the best venue would be that camp on Manus Island. It might bring some of these people back to earth for a few minutes.

Can you imagine a Saudi prince, in his white dress camping in a tent on manus? Brings a smile to my face, just thinking about it.

Paul
>the Mad Monk himself, Tony Baloney.
>Our Tone at the official banquette, yelling out
>Tone's been caught out again, hiding things!
>on what The Mad Monk or any other leader
>and poor old Tone's been left out in the cold
>Check this one out Tone's not even in the picture.
Albie
>Yes with Fuhrer Abbott at the helm of the ship of fools,

Bazz, Tone attracts names like fly's to a fresh cow pat!

The Russians are coming! the Russians are coming! Seems a fleet, well at least four, Russian warships have been sighted of Australia's north coast. Our PM is just as mystified as the rest of us as to what they are up to. Time for some more shirt fronting me thinks. Tone go get em! Could Putin be about to shirt front Abbott, in the Russian style, battle ships at ten paces.

I find it very interesting that with the title G20 for this thread and all those in the know prior to the summit not one comment has been made during or after the G20 summit.

I'm not trying to fire up the comments with this post, just saying...

The final communique, to paraphrase Julius Caeser

"I came, I saw, I departed."

And the word from Tony Abbott from the end of 'Looney Tunes' Cartoons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-ceg763Voc

Paul,

You might like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7TdO-Rtxos

Steamboat Tony

(Quite well done)

: )

Thanks Poirot. I like it.

I've got to admit that I had high hopes for
the G20 Summit. This was an opportunity
for our Prime Minister to make his mark -
to world leaders assembled to discuss efforts
to increase global economic growth, and deal
with a huge range of issues from trade, the
environment, economic growth, and so on.

Instead our PM gave one of the strangest
speeches. Our PM talked about domestic politics -
he lectured on his efforts to de-regulate university
fees and introduce a $7 payment to see a doctor.
And he then complained how hard it's been to get
these reforms through the Senate.

In contrast the US President, Barack Obama talked
of a world in transition dealing with Ebola and
climate change and the investment of $3 billion
in a Green Climate Fund. "You've got to be able
to overcome old divides, look squarely at science
and reach a strong global climate agreement
next year."

What a wasted opportunity for us as hosts of the
Conference to have placed our emphasis on
domestic politics much to the bewilderment of
most present and failing to keep climate
change off the agenda.

cont'd ...

I meant to say that the US President's speech
punctured the attempt of Mr Abbott to keep
climate change out of the Conference. And what
followed was embarrassing.

Foxy,
No matter how much Abbott sees himself as a world leader, he just can't cut it. From the beginning of federation Australia has been fortunate to have had many excellent Prime Ministers from all sides of politics. We have also had some very mediocre individuals at the helm as well, without question Abbott is one of the poorest PM's we have ever had

All the silly cartoons from the left whinge fantasy land can't wash away that in foreign affairs Tony Abbott has been the most effective PM in living memory. (which compares extremely favourably to the flaccid and obsequious diplomacy of Krudd and Juliar who achieved nearly nothing)

After just one year he has stopped the boats and improved relations with Indonesia, India, China, Japan and the US, has 3 FTAs under his belt, has prodded the EU and the US to take effective action against Russia, and has supported the reluctant US to take effective action against ISIS (whose advance has been stopped, and is now falling back)

If you recall my earlier thread
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6614
I have been vindicated
http://www.firstpost.com/world/top-us-envoy-says-islamic-state-impaled-gathering-kobane-1813447.html

The person that should be embarrassed is Obama making promises that he cannot keep nor enforce especially with the hostile congress due to his ineffectual leadership.

Yes, SM...and all of that is represented by the fact that the LNP consistently trails 10% behind in the polls.

Abbott is really the most embarrassing and gauche type of mendacious bumbler.

After doing his damnedest to keep climate off the table at the G20, he was broadsided most perfectly by just about every other country - save the Saudis.

And now, the deceptive fool is trying to make out he's all for the Paris summit.

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/abbott-decides-that-climate-change-thing-needs-a-dust-after-all-20141120-11qe4n.html

""It's very important that we get strong and effective outcomes from the conference in Paris next year.

"It is a subject that the world needs to tackle as a whole.

"We all are doing what we can, Australia as well, and we need a strong and effective agreement from Paris next year."

And he went on.

"I think it's very important that we don't have another disaster like Copenhagen and it's vital that the Paris Conference be a success, unlike Copenhagen."

What a conman!

SM I recall a couple of years back all the usual suspects were calling for an election seeing Labor was 10 points behind in the polls at the time. I'm very happy with the job the Mad Monk is doing. He's Labors best political asset at the moment! The Green vote is up looking forward to the Victorian vote this week, are you?