Hugh Jorgensen is a Research Associate in the Lowy Institute's G20 Studies Centre. See every short post from our experts on the most important international policy issue of this campaign.
Australia's G20 presidency commences 1 December, meaning the election winner has a unique opportunity to leverage the G20's 'circuit-breaker' role by taking on global policy deadlocks at the 2014 Brisbane summit.
Australia cannot afford to fluff the G20 presidency: our place at the top table is not guaranteed, and nor is the table. Yet if the election winner wants a meaningful outcome on whatever 'deadlock/s' they target (eg. multilateral trade, climate financing), then the prime minister and treasurer (and public servants under their instruction) must begin campaigning and building coalitions with G20 leaders from 1 December.
Are Abbott and Rudd G20-savvy enough to get an outcome? Or will they just be last-minute lotus-eaters?