On the future of Australia, greater integration with the fast-growing Asian economies was regarded as critical. Optimising their own depleting natural resources as the war hots up among multiple users from Asia itself needed sensitive handling. ‘‘There was a need to re-write the geo-political map if Australia was to survive the next 50 years.’’

Not surprisingly the need for redressing a perceived neglect of India was voiced both by Philip Riddock, the Attorney General (also the Minister for Home), and Kevin Rudd, shadow federal minister for Foreign Affairs and International Security. Australia is just coming to terms with the ‘New India Story’ and the strategic partnership with the US has certainly helped.

However, the most problematic issue, it was felt, was the consequences of environmental and global change. For example global warming has let to bleaching of nearly 40 per cent of their coral reef, with a 12 per cent causalty, and the danger of changing ocean currents with increased submergence of coastline with a similar fate in many of their neighbouring countries is a grim reality. This is coupled with David Bloom’s presentation on Demography—which pointed out that the global population in 99 per cent of human history had reached one billion in 1804 and, in a short period of over 200 years, crossed six billion, threatening to exceed nine billion by 2050.

So fear of unprecedented international migration, shrinking land area, unpredictable weather patterns and rising demography is a clear dampener to even an ardent optimist. Given Australia’s location, its geo-politics and multiple other vulnerabilities, this is even more so for them. Australia would like not merely to defend itself from Asia but build a more ‘purposive engagement’. In the meantime they are coming to terms with ‘The Inconvenient Truth’ represented in Al Gore’s moving film on the world’s climatic turmoil.