Reply on wool legislation

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32976, 24 July 1972, Page 2

Reply on wool legislation

In an open letter to the Woolgrowers’ Action Committee, which is opposed to present plans for wool marketing reform, and in particular proposals for the early acquisition of all shorn wools, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Carter) says that until those opposing the scheme convince their elected representatives that the request to him to introduce legislation does not represent the general acceptance of woolgrowers, he must proceed . with the Wool Marketing Corporation Bill. "In your open letter to me you state that the Wool Board is ’indecently anxious’ to implement its scheme for a Wool Marketing Corporation,” says Mr Carter. “In fact, over the last five years the board has moved fairly slowly, and only in the last year has it taken the lead in arranging for a definite plan for marketing reform to be worked out.

“You question the claim that the corporation will be grower controlled. Three directors of the corporation are to be members of the Wool Board and are appointed on the nomination of the board. The chairman of the corporation is to be nominated by the board, with the approval of the Minister. In other words the appointment of four out of the seven directors has the specific endorsement of the board.

“To suggest, as you do, that the appointment of these directors by the GovernorGeneral, on the recommendation of the Minister, gives control of the corporation to the Minister and the Government is a misinterpretation of a purely formal procedure. The same procedure is incorporated in a large number of statutes, including that governing the Wool Commission.

“The Speech from the Throne, which indicates the legislation that will be introduced by Government, stated that, subject to general acceptance by wool producers, the Government would submit to Parliament a bill to

implement the Wool Marketing Corporation scheme. “I have been asked formally by the Wool Board to implement this legislation. In their letter to me the Wool Board indicated that the voting at the meeting of the Meat and Wool Council of Federated Farmers disclosed 82 per cent in favour of the legislation, 10 per cent against it s and 8 per cent abstaining. “This vote followed acceptance by the Wool Board and the electoral committee of the Meat and Wool Boards some time previously, which indicated almost unanimous acceptance.

"The question is asked, have I a substantial majority of woolgrowers? "The answer must be that I feel justified in accepting the views of the three main organisations comprising the elected representatives of sheep farmers. "While it can be accepted that there is opposition, the extent of that opposition is unknown, and until the opposition convinces their elected representatives that the request to me to introduce the legislation does not, in fact, represent the general acceptance of woolgrowers, I must proceed with the bill. “There is no gain for Government in passing this bill against the wishes of the majority, of woolgrowers, but there would be a breach of confidence in the accepted leaders of the industry if their wishes, backed by a vote taken in the generally accepted manner, were not carried out," says Mr Carter.