Recent publications
Labor flirting with neo-protectionism in trade policy
It is only early days, but the Rudd government's pro-growth reform credentials are already being put to the test. Since the 1980s, both major parties have favoured free trade. At the last federal election, then Shadow, now Minister for Trade,...
Briefing Paper: The politics of wheat
Low emissions technology under threat
At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting hosted in Bali last December, NGOs were falling over themselves to have their favourite causes included in the proceedings. NGOs have successfully ticketed climate change as the...
Labor
Since becoming the surprise choice as Minister for Agriculture in the new Rudd government, Tony Burke has, by and large, said sensible things on all the big issues confronting agriculture. In so doing he has upset both the diminishing band of...
20 years reveals gigantic strides in international trade
The politics of trade policy often obscures what should be an unambiguously positive story about the globalisation of the world economy. Goods which were previously produced on a single site are now produced in a virtual international factory-each...
Who prices petrol? Why petrol costs are not a corporate conspiracy
No retail product draws as much scrutiny as petrol. Petrol operates in a dynamic marketplace based on supply, demand and competition. Yet every time there is a shift in petrol prices consumers, politicians and regulators cry foul. The irony is...
The Failure of Aid and the Promise of Trade
Aid and trade are not mutually exclusive and both have a role to play in the fight against poverty. In developing future aid policy, it is imperative that policy-makers learn from previous failures. Likewise, the promise of trade can only be...
The 'food miles' fallacy
Amending TRIPS: Protecting Property Rights and Public Health.
Submission to the DFAT review of the TRIPS and Public Health Amendment