Australia hosted on Saturday and Sunday a summit that brought together over 1,000 scientists, unionists, central bankers and also actors Cate Blanchett and Hugh Jackman.

The meeting took place in the capital Canberra and it aimed to plot the country’s future trajectory.

"Today we are throwing open the windows of our democracy to let a little bit of fresh air in," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told the gathering, according to the Washington Post.

One of the main ideas discussed referred to a move towards a republic, initially set on a 12-year target and quickly changed by the government's home affairs minister, Bob Debus, to a much shorter time frame of two years. The proposal was received with great enthusiasm by many delegates.

Australia's foreign minister Stephen Smith expressed his opinion on the matter, saying that even though a split from the country’s former colonial power is indeed needed, it is not considered a priority. "I regard it as inevitable. I don't see it occurring in 2010. It's one of those things I think the nation will attend to in due course," he was quoted saying by BBC.

Australian officials had some ideas to get the citizens involved in the process, collaborating with radio talks shows to invite listeners to express their thoughts and present their ideas for a better life. The final proposals are expected to be delivered to the government for further analysis. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said: "Some of these ideas we will be able to embrace, others we will not, and some we will take in part and change," according to BBC.