Will be an interesting view and topic you have raised Jessie .
I hope it comes forth as the problem if there is one could be closer to the loss of the co-operatives ?
By this i mean also our abilty to value add to the primary produce and provide emplyoment off the farm.
The agarian socialist concept is becomming more increasingly under preasure and may come a time soon where people will no longer accept the socialising of thier losses because of this !
With i think over 50% of our food now imported this trend is taking place in my view and can be seen when in country towns the loss of sm all industry over the years .
The willingess of goverment to asborb drought flood etc can be highlighted in Deltas post and recent loses of manufacturing of agriculture products.
Live export trade while may provide a market it loses the value added products and the ability of our smaller industries to compete with the lower cost products in the market place .
I am not a big fan of loss of tarriffs in our country and of the gst not being applied to export industry .
If we are to asorb the losses of agriculture they possibley also need bring into the wider community economic value adding similar to when co-operatives were strong in our country.
I was reading recently an economists view that the socialiasing of the agriculture industries losses placed higher values to land than what could be reasonably expected bussiness cost for new entry to the market place.
ie similar to what many believe negative gearing does in the real estate market.
I dont not live or gain an income from the land but grew up with close family ties to it and also as an Australian have that emotion that can be twigged by the loses those who do so can endure .Similar to how the Anzac can do to a countries emotion and our soldiers etc .The agriculture community maybe losing this ability as it loses its smaller value added industries.
