Dick Smith joins the national conversation on progress, 2011

	MEDIA RELEASE
5 September 2011	Embargo: 11.30 am (CANBERRA TIME)	104/2011

Mr Dick Smith gave his views on Australia’s progress today, contributing to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) national conversation on progress. People from all walks of life are encouraged to join this conversation over the next few weeks www.abs.gov.au/about/progress/blog

Reflecting on national progress, Mr Smith said he would like to see "growth in efficiencies, and saving waste and improving the quality of life" and, "plan for still getting the same amount of money, but using productivity gains to reduce working hours."

“I’d love to see our population stabilise at about 24-25 million"

"I think we have to plan a new system which is not based on the exponential growth in the use of energy and resources", Mr Smith added.

Mr Smith’s video can be viewed on the Measures of Australia’s Progress (MAP) Blog, where all Australians are invited to have their say over the next few weeks www.abs.gov.au/about/progress/blog

Your views on the following questions will help us improve the way we measure and talk about Australia’s progress:

• Is life in Australia getting better?
• What areas of life are most important to national progress?

Dick Smith joins Michael Stutchbury, Economics Editor of The Australian, and Richard Aedy, host of Radio National’s Life Matters program, in commenting on national progress on the MAP Blog. The views of other prominent Australians will appear regularly over the next few weeks.

"The ABS would like people from all corners of Australia to contribute their views of what they think is important to Australian life", Brian Pink, the Australian Statistician said.

Media notes:

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