2020 Summit - Henry's shopping list

As the countdown to the 2020 Summit continues, participants have been getting in early with their favourite ideas.

A prominent law professor has said it should be illegal for politicians to lie. Perhaps the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) should be given the task of policing this, as they supposedly do for Company Directors who issue dud prospectuses, tell lies or fail to report "material developments".

The Prime Minister himself has got in early with his plans to properly educate kids.

Michelle Grattan and colleagues report today. "ALL Australian parents would have access to low-cost child care and welfare services under a proposal Kevin Rudd will take to his 2020 ideas summit.

"Days before the summit begins, the Prime Minister has outlined a vision for universal access to a network of ‘one stop’ child-care centres.

"The centres would provide a broad mix of maternal and child health services, including feeding advice and vaccinations, long day care, preschool education and support for parents.

"Addressing the Sydney Institute last night, Mr Rudd said his plan would need partnerships between various levels of government, as well as private and community service providers".

This is a great idea, but we all recall the promise that no child would live in poverty.

Read Emma Tom in The Australian today for a searing account of the state-of-play with some of our most vulnerable kids.

Other clever ideas from Australia's most reforming PM include bringing the troops home from Iraq, heating up the debate on becoming a republic and encouraging China to do something about human rights abuse in Tibet and elsewhere.

Presumably Mr Rudd also encouraged China's leaders to do something about climate change, which we must hope involves them buying still to be perfected Australian technology to clean up their coal-fired power stations, at the rate of one per week, as they are built.

Henry has not been invited to the great meeting of Australia's best and brightest. But he cannot avoid the temptation to add some ideas. These are oldies but goodies, and they are presented here so that they do not get overlooked in the rush of new ideas.