Price fixing agreements: a study of the economic, legal and administrative objectives of control of horizontal pricing agreements with an evaluation of the politics and control of such agreements in Australia

Masters Research - Master of Philosophy (MPhil)The thesis is aimed to study Horizontal Agreements generally, with specific reference to Australian experience. It thus takes the basic arguments proposed by industry and evaluates these. In this regard the arguments put forward by the Associated Chamber of Manufacturers of Australia in vehemently opposing strong Trade Practices control are taken as the clearest articulated presentation of general arguments against Trade Practices legislation. Examples are taken of Australian industry as compared with evaluated industries overseas. Also studied are Australian political attitudes and the 1965 Trade Practices Act is evaluated. The thesis is written on material available up to about March 1972 although some annotations have been made since that date. Trade Practices are a continuing phenomena and it is not possible to be continually up to date in view of the changes occurring. At the time of writing there were only four reports of the Commissioner for Trade Practices available. The text was written prior to the announcement of the Attorney-General (Senator Greenwood) to Federal Parliament on 24th May 1972 on future governmental intentions in the Trade Practices field and does not attempt to evaluate the merits of the Government's intentions in this regard. The thesis is restricted to Horizontal Agreements in the Commonwealth and, at the State level, deals primarily with New South Wales. At the stage of writing, both the Commonwealth and New South Wales had Liberal/Country Party Governments and the term "Government" refers (unless otherwise stated) to such Governments