24th April, 2009

Last year the Federal Government's much publicised 2020 Summit generated 962 ideas to help better Australia's future. This week, the Rudd Government announced it would immediately begin work on nine of them:

• The establishment of a civilian body capable of responding to emergencies in the region;

• Taking the "first steps" towards the establishment of an Indigenous Cultural Education and Knowledge Centre;

• A workplace mentoring scheme involving skilled mature age Australians and business and the community;
• The commitment of $50 million for research towards the development of a bionic eye;
• A Prime Minister’s Australia Asia Endeavour Awards Scheme to support scholarships for students in Australia and Asia and deepen cultural understanding;
• A dedicated ABC children’s channel;
• A business and school roundtable aimed at creating partnerships to "improve educational outcomes";
• A "Skills for the Carbon Challenge" initiative to equip workers and businesses with sustainable skills; and
• A single post-secondary high speed broadband network which will connect the Australian training system to a similar network to that currently serving universities.

What do you think of these ideas?