Key issues for the Brisbane G20 summit

MAIN ISSUES FOR G20 SUMMIT

* RELEVANCE: The G20 was born out of the Asian financial crisis, but now its agenda is criticised for lacking focus. Much of the work is not done by the leaders but by bureaucrats, and bilateral talks and smaller regional groups are seen as better at getting results. G20 members are at odds over a number of issues.

* GLOBAL GROWTH: Australia has set a target of two per cent annual growth over next four years. But growth is patchy among G20 members - Argentina is in recession, there's zero growth in some European countries and under two per cent in others. Joe Hockey is optimistically saying 1.8 per cent is possible.

* RUSSIA: Australia, US, Japan, EU and Canada have imposed trade sanctions over sister G20 member Russia's Ukraine incursion. Abbott says he will "shirt-front" Putin over the downing of flight MH17. Arm-wrestling, anyone?

* TRADE: India has vetoed a new multilateral deal. Australia has signed bilateral deals with Japan and South Korea and one is pending with China. Likely to be all talk and no action.

* IMF-WORLD BANK REFORM: US congress has blocked reforms which would have given more say to developing countries. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are forming their own development bank. This agenda item has been running for four years and is stalling.

* TAX: Australia will benefit if a deal can be struck on big global businesses evading tax. A common reporting standard for the exchange of tax information is on the agenda. Bank secrecy is also being addressed. How thousands of tax laws can be changed at the same time without benefiting one country over another is a vexed question.

* CLIMATE: Some leaders want talks on cutting emissions ahead of the UN climate summit in Paris in 2015. There is an "energy efficiency" agenda item, but expect hot air on climate.

* INFRASTRUCTURE: Australia sees more private investment in roads, rail and other capital works as key to driving economic growth. It's looking for ways to encourage this while cutting domestic and global red tape.

* EBOLA: US and UK are leading a push for more countries to help in west Africa. Australia has been reluctant to send medical experts but Prime Minister Tony Abbott has since announced the government will outsource the running of a 100-bed hospital in Sierra Leone and played down concerns Australians won't be involved.

* TONY ABBOTT: Host PM says it will be more about action than words. Final communique will be three pages, not more than two dozen as in previous summits. Voters will be seeking results.