Facing budget pressures and keen to ensure the 2020 Summit does not attract further criticism, the Government will offset the event’s running costs by auctioning off the right to host some of the summit’s high-profile participants.

With the cost of accommodation for nearly 900 summit participants travelling to Canberra for the weekend summit likely to run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, Crikey can reveal that Professor Glyn Davis, after consultations with the hew head of Prime Minister and Cabinet Terry Moran and Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner, will shortly announce an auction for the right to host 100 of the most famous summiteers for the nights of 18-20 April.

With a number of international stars and prominent personalities coming for the summit, the auction is expected to see strong bidding from Canberrans – who rarely set eyes on any famous people other than politicians – eager to meet and host a celebrity for several days.

“Locals will be able to have some eminent Australians and major international celebrities in their own homes for a weekend,” said a senior member of the 2020 summit organising team.

“They’ll be able to show them the sights of Canberra, which admittedly won’t take long, and take them to and from the summit venues.”

The auction has been estimated by Department of Finance officials as likely to raise more than $5 million. Star actors Cate Blanchett and Hugh Jackman are expected to fetch the highest prices. However, Canberra’s latte-sipping bureaucratic types are also expected to bid strongly for such left-wing celebrities as environmentalist Tim Flannery and academic Robert Manne.

“There may be a few cases where the celebrity fails to meet the reserve price,” said an organiser.

“People like Gerard Henderson and Geraldine Doogue may not attract a high enough bid. In those cases, the auctioneer will invite tenders for the cost of hosting them.”

If there is no interest in hosting the nominated celebrity, they will be billeted on a randomly-selected Canberran household.

“It’s only for three nights,” the organiser pointed out.

“And Canberrans won’t mind making a sacrifice like that for the sake of Australia’s future.”