Empty corridors and a quiet hum: if there were fireworks at Albanese's economic roundtable, they were well hidden

The Guardian

2 hours ago

'What's on your agenda this week?'
'Hanging out for three days while we wait.'
So went a conversation overheard in Parliament House, between two people from organisations represented at the government's economic reform roundtable, just before the three-day meeting kicked off.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and Australia's economy won't be fixed in three days (although with productivity gains, who knows how we could have supercharged the Roman construction sector).
Government sources were quick to stress the 'constructive' atmosphere in the room; in a rosy five-line statement after the first day's activities, an upbeat Jim Chalmers described the vibe as 'outstanding', 'promising', 'productive', 'constructive' and 'consensus building' – proving, if nothing else, productivity is high among his media team.
But those of us stuck outside the cabinet room – that is, everyone but the 30-odd participants – were left waiting and wondering what the economic inner circle were discussing.
Parliament House wasn't exactly abuzz – more a quiet hum as staffers of interest groups drifted the halls like tumbleweed, trying to fill in time between sessions.
Aussies cafe, usually the spot to see and be seen in Parliament, lay near-empty.
Journalists skulked around the ministerial wing, trying to learn any scraps from inside; while shadow treasurer Ted O'Brien, the Coalition's sole invitee, bustled out during the lunch break, appearing to take a phone call but perhaps just hoping to avoid questions.
Nationals senator Matt Canavan, taking advantage of an unexpected lull in the middle of the day, set up a real-life version of the 'change my mind' meme on the front lawn of the building, spruiking his own pirate version of a roundtable on Tuesday.
A special media space set up for press conferences lay mostly empty, barely used beyond quick stand-ups from one business group and one union secretary, where each criticised the other over an ACTU push for employers to pay a levy to train workers.
Industry leader Innes Willox reportedly called that idea a 'crock of shit'. ACTU assistant Secretary Liam O'Brien said these weren't 'new tensions', but said the summit was helping thorny issues get 'surfaced in a productive way.'
In public comments, at least, participants played nice, saying compromises were being found. But on the outside, like waiting for chimney smoke from the papal conclave, we were left to interpret the smallest signals emanating from the cabinet room.
Phones and smart watches had to be surrendered at the cabinet room door, the tech devices of the nation's key policy minds left stranded in little plastic boxes. Sadly the large 'no mobile phones' sign didn't include a warning to switch them to silent, leaving one smart watch to ring deafeningly during Chalmers' opening address and spotlight moment, prompting a mad scramble from the staffers in the lobby.
We managed to nip inside the cabinet room as Anthony Albanese and Chalmers made their opening addresses to the roundtable (it was an oval table), to check out the seating plan. Flanking the PM were treasury secretary Jenny Wilkinson, and Chalmers (on Albanese's left this time, not his right-hand man). Sitting directly opposite, Productivity Commission chief Danielle Wood, former treasury secretary Ken Henry, and Commonwealth Bank boss Matt Comyn.
Sitting on the far rounded edge of the cabinet table, as far from Albanese as would be possible, was Ted O'Brien.
Albanese said he didn't expect participants to agree on every issue. With unions, business groups, environment leaders and politicians in one room, it's probably hard to agree on the coffee order, let alone the future economic direction of the country. But in the spirit of consensus (a word you're hearing a lot this week, alongside 'constructive') the PM invited all the roundtable members to drinks at the Lodge on Wednesday night.
It will follow a key economic summit of another kind on Monday night at the PM's house. Chalmers, in business-casual mode, in a quarter-zip jacket meeting Albanese… and his dog, Toto.
'I'm delighted at how specific people's ideas have been and how constructively participants have worked together,' Chalmers said after day one, praising participants for having 'risen to the occasion' with 'a lot of consensus building'.
But with business groups and unions expecting a key confrontation on AI and regulation on day two, let's check back tomorrow to see if the smoke signals are quite as positive.