CHANGING INSTITUTIONS, PROCESSES AND ISSUES IN THE FORMATION OF AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL POLICY

In this paper the effect of structural changes in the Australian economy on the determination of policy for agriculture is examined. The effectiveness of the unification of farm organisations is questioned and the threat to organised agriculture of new lobby groups and new governmental institutions is outlined. The role of wide-ranging inquiries into the state of the agricultural economy is scrutinised. Attention is drawn to the effect on rural lobbying of the advent of 'government by consensus' under the Hawke Government and to the increasing militancy of farmers. It is shown that recent advocacy of greater centralisation of agricultural administration has no constitutional basis. It is concluded that the emerging problem of organised agriculture is to find an effective way to modify the impact on the industry of general economic policies and overseas economic developments rather than to deal with commodity-specific legislation