EVENT REVIEW

LEADERSHIP 09 | Tourism & Transport Infrastructure Summit

TTF’s annual Leadership Summit, the centrepiece of our major events calendar, is now well-established as the principal forum for face-to-face engagement between the federal government and the tourism, transport and aviation sectors.

This year’s Summit was the ninth in the series, and the second we have hosted with the Rudd Government.  It took place against the background of one of the most challenging economic and operational environments our sectors have faced since TTF’s inception.  Global recession and a slowing domestic economy have taken a heavy toll on Australian tourism, one reflected in severe job losses during 2009.  The government’s response – and industry’s role in partnership with it – was a key theme of Summit, with TTF presenting a paper on the impact of the crisis on tourism employment.

Longer-term policy was also on the agenda, as industry sought commitments from government to the full implementation of National Long-term Tourism Strategy (NLTS), the Infrastructure Australia agenda, the Aviation White Paper and the Commonwealth's role in urban transport.

The federal government was represented at the highest level, with Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard – our official Summit Dinner speaker – Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner and his colleagues from the economic portfolios, Chris Bowen and Craig Emerson, outlining the government’s economic recovery strategy.  Mark Arbib – Minister for Employment Participation - gave an overview of the government’s approach to sustaining jobs. 

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the details of the government’s ‘nation building’ program, in particular where it applies to urban public transport and cities.  The Minister argued that the policy remains vital as a means of economic stimulus in the short term and building productivity for the long term.  TTF’s priorities in this area, and in aviation, were underscored in two position papers distributed at Summit.

Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson responded to industry’s concerns about both jobs and the NLTS, but refused to consider specific federal assistance to the sector.  Together with other industry groups, TTF presented the Minister with a joint sector position on the NLTS, emphasising the need for the recommendations of the Jackson Report to be implemented in full and for an immediate recovery package.

Senior government officials were also well represented at Summit.  Keynote speeches from Terry Moran (Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet) and Robyn Kruk (Department of the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) reflected the government’s ‘policy rich’ approach to reform across a wide range of portfolios and its commitment to consultation with industry, as did a panel session with Mike Mrdak (Department of Infrastructure) and Blair Comley (Department of Climate Change). 

Continuing Summit’s long tradition of bi-partisan engagement, delegates heard from Leader of the Opposition Malcolm Turnbull, Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey at pre-dinner cocktails and from Shadow Tourism Minister Steve Ciobo and Shadow Transport Minister Warren Truss in a separate panel session. 

Expert commentators Annabel Crabb (Sydney Morning Herald),Steve Lewis (News Ltd) and Kieran Gilbert (Sky News) provided entertainment and insight on the popular ‘Insiders Panel’; and TTF’s ‘tourism electoral pendulum’, presented at the closing Summit Luncheon with analysis from CPR and Hawker Britton about marginal seat impacts.

The value of Summit lies in the advocacy and networking opportunities it provides, its positioning of our sectors as major employers and economic drivers and the subsequent opportunities it generates for enhanced dialogue with the key players in Canberra.  We believe this year’s event scored highly on these fronts, and we look forward to your comments and feedback as we begin to plan for next year’s event – and for a busy advocacy schedule in 2010.

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