Chief Minister Gallagher has announced she’s reached an agreement with NSW to jointly bid for the gargantuan G20 summit in 2014 (whereby the leaders of the 20 most powerful countries in the world will all need motorcades and 5 star hotels simultaneously).
“Late last year I wrote to NSW Premier, Mr Barry O’Farrell, proposing that our two governments work cooperatively with the aim of Sydney hosting the major summit meeting, while Canberra plays host to a number of the significant side events.
“We believe this collaborative approach provides a compelling, unified case for the Commonwealth’s consideration, putting forward Australia’s largest city and its national capital as joint hosts. Our cities are well connected by road and are only 30 minutes apart by air.
“Premier O’Farrell has agreed with my suggestion and proposed that in the first instance officials from the ACT and NSW meet to discuss opportunities for a joint bid.
“I am determined to maximise every opportunity that presents itself to not only showcase our beautiful city, but to ensure we vigorously pursue the economic benefits that flow from our preeminent position as the largest city in the region,” the Chief Minister said.
A recent analysis of the capacity of the ACT to host the main summit has shown that we do not currently have the capacity required for such large scale international events, for instance we have too few upscale hotels and hotel suites for high level visits.
“The study provided a comparison with the 2011 host city Cannes and the 2012 host city Los Cabos. It showed that, with total hotel room capacity of 5250, Canberra had less than half the capacity of Los Cabos and almost three thousand fewer than Cannes. An estimated 7000 to 10,000 guests are expected to attend the event,” the Chief Minister said.
“However, we are well placed to host the side events that are staged in the lead up to and during the actual G20 Summit. We have demonstrated in recent times, following successful visits by the Royal Family and the President of the United States, that Canberra can still play a significant G20 hosting role.
“The G20 hosts will receive enormous benefits and Canberra would welcome the opportunity to again be showcased to the world by hosting important pre and post summit meetings and associated business meetings.”
A welcome blast of sanity following Senator Humphries mad intervention.
UPDATE: Senator Humphries is not done embarrassing himself:
Senator Humphries has called for G20 to be hosted in Canberra, and pointed out Labor’s strong criticism of the Howard Government for failing to host the CHOGM meeting ten years ago in Canberra.
“I am appalled that the ACT Government has all but given up on Canberra to host this important event”, Senator Humphries said.
“The ALP are hypocrites to call for Canberra to host major international meetings in the national capital when in opposition but to then turn their back on the capital when in government.
“If Canberra was capable of hosting a meeting of 50-odd heads of government in 2000, it should certainly be able to host a meeting of 20 leaders in 2014”.
Earth to Senator Humphries, Earth to Senator Humphries:
At CHOGM there are a handful of serious countries: UK, India, Nigeria, Canada, South Africa, Australia.
At G20 there are 10 odd countries in that league and then throw in: USA, Russia, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Italy, France.
Whereas most countries at CHOGM can be put up at a backpackers and loaded onto a minibus.
[Photo courtesy Wikipedia CC BY]
