EDITORIAL: Round table a test of Labor’s willingness to listen

Don’t buy too much into the hype.

That’s been the clear message from Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers as they move to temper expectations that the productivity roundtable to be held later this month will result in immediate or radical reform.

“To be very clear, it’s not a meeting of the Cabinet … it’s a meeting in the cabinet room,” the Prime Minister told reporters on Monday.

“This is a roundtable . . . It is not more than that.

“It’s not a replacement of the Cabinet, we’re not contracting out our decision-making processes.”

In his first term as Prime Minister, Mr Albanese showed himself to be a surprising conservative leader, his reluctance to move too fast and risk spooking the horses borne of having seen other prime ministers and Labor leaders fall victim to their own ambition.

Summit and roundtable are words synonymous with talkfest.

His desire to bring the rest of the country with him is laudable. But waiting around for consensus on issues where consensus is unlikely to be found has its downsides and has opened Mr Albanese up to accusations of being slow to act on a range of key issues.

Will this meeting motivate a naturally cautious Government to undertake bold reform?

It doesn’t seem likely.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile.

There’s always something to be gained from politicians genuinely listening to people.

And if those people are outside their regular coterie of advisers and ideologically-aligned hangers-on, all the better.

The invite list is relatively short — certainly a lot shorter than the much-hyped jobs and skills summit in the Government’s first term.

That summit actually did result in reform. The problem was it was all pre-ordained, with the summit just a smokescreen used for cover to push through a controversial industrial relations agenda the Government was determined to get up one way or another.

That memory still lingers in the minds of business groups, which resented being used as pawns in a game cooked up with unions.

Nevertheless, they’ve been talked back to the table for another go.

The fact Mr Albanese and Dr Chalmers are now talking down expectations for concrete outcomes is likely welcome — it means those business and interest groups are less likely to be ambushed.

Maybe this time it will be a genuine conversation with a Government open to ideas.

If so, great.

That’s what governments should be doing.

People are naturally suspicious of events such as these.

“Summit” and “roundtable” are words synonymous with “talkfest”.

Too often, governments hold these meetings in lieu of actual action, when they should be just the first step.

Done right, they can be a powerful tool in taking the national temperature and informing reform efforts.

And there are plenty of Australians willing to share their knowledge and make a contribution if called upon.

That includes State premiers and ministers, who often have a more granular understanding of how policies play out in real life.

This forum is a test of the Government’s willingness to listen. If they pass, more should follow in other targeted policy areas, harnessing the expertise of those working in health, housing, education and business.

Responsibility for the editorial comment is taken by Editor-in-Chief Christopher Dore.