NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Paul McGowan worked as one of Australia’s leading international agricultural consultants, and has an intimate and thorough understanding of the issues associated with water policy. “Australia is the driest continent” This often repeated claim may be true on the basis of area; but this fact is of doubtful significance. Far more important is…
It is not uncommon, post September 11, to find criticism of US trade and foreign policy being dismissed as “anti-American”. It is not dissimilar to the way some seek to reject criticism of Israeli policies under the Sharon government as anti-Semitic. During the Cold War, anti-Americanism was widely viewed as being mostly, if not entirely,…
INTERNATIONAL The two latest applicants for membership of the United Nations are Switzerland and Taiwan. Switzerland is likely to get in. Taiwan is not. In the usual Swiss way, whether Switzerland actually applies for UN membership depends on the result of a national referendum. To pass, the proposition must be passed by a majority of…
Nobody should be in any doubt about the difficulties facing the Australian sugar industry. In the last year or so, prices have steadily fallen until they languish at or below survival levels for most Australian cane growers (remember, no grower produces sugar). Twenty years ago, this writer was involved in the negotiations that led to…