Andrew Charlton: Australia in the 21st Century Andrew Charlton is an experienced businessman, politician and writer who has not only observed the progress of Australia’s economy, but has been an influential force in lots of the decisions aimed to help push that advancement throughout the 21st century. At the age of 28 he served as the Senior Economic Adviser to former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. After a shift in power throughout Parliament, Andrew stepped away from the political arena and took a position in private business, planning development strategies for Coles and finding ways to advance job creation and the growth of the Australian economy from the inside.
But as a Rhodes Scholar, he also respects the past, and ponders why his country has experienced such fluctuations in growth over the past centuries. The 19th century was very prosperous for the country, while the 20th century wasn’t nearly as glorious. The 21st century, however, is off to an incredible start and Andrew Charlton hopes to keep it that way.
When it comes to the 20th century, many Australians see the post-war growth as a golden era. Charlton argues that it’s all relative; and that while the country did rise in its post-war economy, history has shown that countries usually perform well once recovering from a war. Australia however was still in decline in comparison to its past and future centuries; and while the recovery provided relief for many Australians, it didn’t boost the economy back into the world’s richest country, like it used to be many years prior.