UPDATED! Brisbane To Host 2014 G-20

Posted: July 11th, 2012 | Author: Michael Courtenay | Filed under: STANDOUT | Tags: Australia, Brisbane, G-20, G-20 Australia, G20, Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, Host City, Julia Gillard, Prime Minister | Comments Off

Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard is expected to announce later today that Brisbane will host the G-20 summit in 2014.

Australia is set to host the international economic summit in November 2014, Prime Minister Gillard is expected to name Brisbane as the host city. A spokesperson for Queensland Premier Campbell Newman’s office says it is the Federal Government’s preferred venue.

However, Mr Newman’s office said, that given the current outlook of the state’s finances, Queensland would seek to have the Federal Government cover the entire cost of the event. Past G-20 summits have cost, London 2009: $AU120 million, Canada 2010 $AU 900 million. France on the other hand managed to host the G-20 in Cannes on the cheap at $AU65 million in 2011.

The rubbery numbers for hosting the summit are summed up by Lord Malloch-Brown, the UK’s Special Envoy to the 2009 G-20 summit in London, ” …and if a fifth of the workers in London have to go home early for fear of disruption, this would cost £24 million/$AU35 million“. The real cost is almost entirely based on security, venues and transportation for delegates.

The 2014 G20 summit will be the ninth Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting. Around 4,000 delegates and 3,000 international media are expected to attend the event, which is likely to be held at the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre. The group of 20 major economies – 19 countries plus the European Central Bank - account for more than 80 per cent of world trade and two thirds of the world population ::::

G-20 Protests

The last major demonstration at a G-20 summit was in June 2010, the Toronto summit witnessed fire-bombings, vandalism as well as peaceful marches. Groups as diverse as Greenpeace, local gay rights activists and anarchist groups like FFFC and , Black Bloc took part in protests. The Toronto Police Service was heavily criticised for brutality by the media and human rights groups.

More than 600 arrests were made during the 2010 Toronto summit, compared to 3 in Cannes 2011, and 3 in Mexico 2012.

UPDATE! 11 July 2012: Australia’s Treasurer Wayne Swan says having the leaders and finance ministers of the world’s biggest economies in Brisbane will put Australia centre stage in world economic affairs.

Mr Swan has told ABC’s AM program that the Government called for expressions of interest to host the meeting, and Brisbane was the clear winner.

“I think Brisbane in particular is the snapshot of our economy more broadly. And certainly in terms of Brisbane and Queensland, the logistics here are excellent, the convention centre and the airport were particularly important in those considerations,” Mr Swan said.

But there is confusion over who will foot the bill, with Queensland Premier Campbell Newman indicating his state does not have any spare funds to chip in.

Mr Swan says Queensland will be contributing to the cost of the event: ”It is my understanding that they will be pitching in to the G20 and they will be working with us to make sure that we put on a world class event,” Mr Swan said. ”They will be partnering with the Commonwealth Government in the provision, if you like, on a whole range of services which are critical to the success of a conference of this size. They certainly will be contributing to the cost of running this conference in Brisbane in the normal way that any other state would be contributing.”

The Treasurer says the Federal Government has already allotted almost $400 million to cover costs.

“I can’t go into all of that detail at this stage because we’ll still be talking with the Queensland Government about all of the detail,” Mr Swan said. ”But in terms of the Commonwealth budget, we’ve put aside something like $370 million over four years.”

Griffith University Politics lecturer Dr Paul Williams says the cost will be immense, but the Federal Government is likely to pay for the majority of the event.

“Everyone should expect the Federal Government to come to the party. I am sure the Federal Government will pick up virtually all the tab,” he said.

Meanwhile, the New South Wales Government has accused Prime Minister Julia Gillard of choosing Brisbane as the host city to shore up Queensland votes.

State Planning and Infrastructure Minister Brad Hazzard says he is appalled because Sydney is a better option:

“Sydney is the only true world city of Australia. It is the city that can best showcase Australia to the world and particularly to the G20 leaders,” Mr Hazzard said. ”And it would appear that Julia Gillard is quite prepared to use the world’s leaders as her own political play things by taking them to Brisbane in an effort to shore up the Labor vote in Queensland.”

Economic Boost

Dr Williams says the summit will require the biggest security operation ever seen in Queensland.

“Brisbane might not be quite the level of the London Olympics in terms of security, but I think it won’t be far behind in terms of the police, private security and perhaps army and other security bodies,” Dr Williams said. ”In terms of sweeping for anti-terrorism, right down to keeping protesters away and that’s another issue of course, we’re almost certain to see protesters.”

Wrangling over the cost aside, the news has been greeted with excitement by leaders in the Queensland capital over the announcement.

David Goodwin from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry says with 7,000 delegates and media expected to attend the summit, the economic benefits would be huge.

“When you host it you get an opportunity to have a major stimulus to your local economy,” Mr Goodwin said. ”When you do get thousands of people coming in from overseas, your restaurateurs will do well, your hotels will do well.”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk says it is a coup for the city to host the summit, which brings together the leaders of the world’s largest economies: ”There is no bigger international event than the G20 in terms of meting of government leaders, and from that point of view it really does show Brisbane has come of age,” Mr Quirk said. ”We are the new world city and it is a very exciting prospect for Brisbane. It provides an opportunity to showcase our city and an economic boost for our city as well.”

CAIRNS To Host G20

UPDATED! August 6, 2012: Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan has announced Cairns will host the G20 Finance Ministers’ meeting in 2014. Last month Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Brisbane had been selected to host the G20 leaders meeting.

Around 4,000 delegates and 3,000 international media are expected to attend the event, which is likely to be held at the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre. Leaders from regional cities including the Gold Coast, Townsville and Toowoomba had previously indicated an interest in hosting the international meeting of finance ministers ahead of the summit in Brisbane.

Mr Swan said as many as 2,000 people would visit Cairns as part of the meeting. ”This is a tremendous opportunity to showcase North Queensland and particularly far north Queensland to the world,” he said. ”The reef, the tropical rainforests, its a tremendous opportunity to showcase a part of Australia which is the gateway to the emerging world in Asia.”

Ms Gillard said Cairns had a strong track record of hosting major international events. ”Because Cairns has done that very well in the past, we are very confident that it’s the right place for this finance ministers meeting,” she said. ”You have to have the right hotel stock, the right meeting venues, the right outlook and atmosphere, and certainly Cairns has got all of that.”

An invitation to the November 2014 meeting is extended to leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies.