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Australian Agriculture the real story August 2015 |
This paper discusses the historic development and application of agricultural policy. Five decades of economies of scale agricultural policy by any common sense measure has failed.
The core problem is conflict between two Laws in economics. The first law forms supply and demand theory in contemporary economic models and assumes constant returns to scale. This conflicts with a second well known Law that identifies agriculture as operating under declining returns to scale. Conflict between these two laws has resulted in long term policy failure, unmanageable debt levels, bank foreclosures insolvencies, suicides; and, damaged the social fabric in rural Australia. Political will is required for effective policy change and the restructure of rural industries. |
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Charters Towers Crisis Summit August 2015 |
Over two hundred farmers and graziers gathered at Charters Towers Golf Course last Monday in order to attend the Rural Crisis Summit.
The Summit, which primarily focused on Drought and banking solutions, saw some of the biggest names in the rural industry attending and speaking.
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Budget Problems 2014-15 February 2014 |
The Budget strategy is reflective of Reaganomics of the early 1980’s. Reaganomics was popularly referred to as “trickle down” economics. In reality it was the first step in the US towards adopting supply side economics. |
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Anatomy of Policy Failure February 2014 |
This paper outlines the reasons why policy transformed a small farm low income problem of the 1960-70’s to become a modern crisis of low income, large farm debt crisis. Implicitly, the submission raises concerns over the competence of rural leadership at all political levels. Publically available data was simply ignored as political ideology overrode sound economics. The GFC rudely exposed rural policy as little more than politically bastardised economics. A debt crisis of unprecedented levels now threatens the stability of rural Australia, its regions and communities. |
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Rural Australia 11th December 2013 |
Across Australia, the GFC was the catalyst that exposed protracted long term policy failure. Physical characteristics of policy failure are: low commodity prices, low farm incomes, debt to equity finance, falling land values, bank foreclosures, despair and suicides. For each industry, there is a particular catalyst that triggered crisis. |
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Economic Philosophy fails Australian Agriculture 25th November 2013 |
This article discusses why neoclassical economic philosophy and market theories have failed rural Australia
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Reconstruct or Rationalize Australian Agriculture 15th April 2013 |
The current rural crisis is an entrenched problem of long term policy failure. At the farm level it is characterised by low farm income and historically high levels of debt. Traditionally, the low farm income problem was associated with small scale farming. Supply side economic structural reforms post 1983 has transformed the traditional low income problem from small scale farming to one that now threatens large efficient farmers, their communities, and regions across Australia |
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Rural Australia v Orthodox Economics 17th October 2012 |
This paper addresses the farm policy questions encapsulated in this graphical presentation of rural debt and low farm income. It is argued that this crisis of debt is the consequence of policy failure. That policy failure is directly linked to the economic policies adopted in Australia post 1983. These policies were the preferred direction of all major political parties, farm leaders, media commentators, and some academics |
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Regions between theory and reality |
This paper seeks to explain why rural policy based upon market economics cannot deliver appropriate rural policies to Australia in the 21st century. It also discusses why environmental policy and rural policy are on a collision course. Regions lie unappreciated in the middle. |
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Sugar Industry Policy Options |
Some of the available WTO compliant options are put forward in this brief for consideration and discussion. Comments and suggestions are invited and welcome. |
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The Political Economics of Rural Policy 13th August 2001 |
Australian rural policy is fundamentally misconstrued. Relying upon productivity gains will not successfully deliver desired rural outcomes |
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The Economics of the Rural Sector
23rd July 1996
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This paper analyses empirical data from the rural sector and concludes that the economic dislocation confronting rural Australia is the consequences of on going sectoral realignment of an agricultural sector as an economy matures over time. This can be theoretically explained by reference to Engle’s Law and industry supply and demand theory. |
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Paradox of Plenty November 1995 |
Australian rural policy is fundamentally misconstrued. Relying upon productivity gains will not successfully deliver desired rural outcomes |