Consilium
I thought I would provide a bit more detail about Consilium. If you’re into policy, ideas and issues then Consilium is a heavyweight event. The quality of the attendees is amazing – top business and political leaders, former commerce commission chairs, orchestra CEOs, top academics, overseas speakers and some politicians.
Interestingly there are five Labor MPs here, and only two Coalition MPs. While the Centre for Independent Studies is a classical liberal thinktank, it is very non partisan and is held in high regard by many in the Australian Labor Party.
Around 150 people attend plus partners. The partners tend to attend all the sessions, as most have a keen interest in public policy issues. The one thing which has struck me about the people here is the sheer intelligence and intellectual firepower.
This is possibly because it is generally not a cheap event to attend. I am extremely lucky to have been invited to speak as a guest. Not up to me to state what the normal attendance fee is, but let us say it is high enough to deter anyone who is not very serious about policy issues. And to my surprise I learnt that despite the high fee, there is a waiting list of people wanting to attend. That’s because the quality of the event has given it such a good reputation.
I’ve been lucky this year to attend four thinktank type events. The Pacific Rim Policy Forum in Hawaii, the Sounds Symposium in Blenheim, the Dunes Symposium on Waiheke Island and finally Consilium in Coolum, Queensland.
My interest in politics comes from an interest in policy. Discussions about the best policy rather than the most popular policy are what motivate me. Some of your best ideas come from a session where you actually disagreed with what was said, but it led you to think about the issue in a different way.
Anyway need to head back into a session now. Will try and later today blog a summary of yesterday’s forums.
August 11th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
‘The one thing which has struck me about the people here is the sheer intelligence and intellectual firepower.”
Not many Aussies taking part then.
August 11th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
sounds utterly awful at that Pompeum Colosseum thing farra, do yous have any ordinary people there, or do you feed them to tiger,
August 11th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
David, I genuinely would like to know what makes you think the CIS is well regarded in Australia or the within the ALP (and just in case its relevant I’m not a member of the ALP)?
August 11th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Paul: Well within the ALP I would say the fact that the Leader and President have both been regular attendees at CIS events speaks for itself. The fact that there are so many ALP MPs at Consilium is another indicator. The fact that CIS has attacked the Howard Govt in areas they disagree, adds to its independent reputation.
As for the wider community, well of course most Australians don’t know what CIS is. But over the years there have been not dozens but I would say hundreds of supportive editorials etc testifying to the quality of the work CIS does.
August 11th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
I suppose that as aussie labour didn’t disintegrate in 80’s (ACT, New Labour) there is still a relevant right group within the party. Rudd almost undoubtedly reflects this and hence the ALP presence. at CIS. Having lived in Australia for the past year( now back home), Rudd doesn’t scare me as much as the prospect of another 3 years of NZ labour does.
August 11th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Fair points but I’d say that, at least in the areas of policy I work – education, labour market, industry policy – I’d not have said they were particularly influential whereas I could name several others, many of which are not independent, that are.
Frederico’s point about Rudd is, of course, exactly why he’s there – that and the appalling performance of his predecessors.