Tainted Wheat effects the senses

Australia’s current inquiry into the impaired senses of leading political and business leaders was recently given an extension. This is, it seems, because of the extra time entailed in coxing hearing, sight and memory impaired witnesses, most of whom hold powerful positions.
Of course the politicians are merely lumped into the pool by extension, as they forgot or didn’t see the need to be included in the investigation. This is regardless of the fact that the two major corporations involved in this inquiry into commercial idiocy have historic, strong links to the highest levels of Australian government.
For those who failed to turn on their hearing aids, pop in the contact lenses or just plain forgot, I am referring to the Cole inquiry into kickbacks under the UN’s Oil for Food Programme.

In another stunning display of impairment, major players have also confused retention of the much prized ‘single desk’ wheat marketing system with the need to coddle a corrupt bunch of crooks. Well, they don’t think they are crooks, they believe breaking national and international law is okay if it gets the job done.
The debate over retention of a monopoly on wheat exports is valid, but it is not central to the case against AWB or BHP-Billiton.
The fact that the monopoly is Australia’s last remaining vestige of an old ‘agrarian socialism’ policy, in a climate of open competition should be at the heart of this debate. The fact that government so blatantly practices double standards on major economic issues should be part of the argument.
Even so, if it is essential that wheat should be controlled by a single ‘monopoly’ exporter, AWB have proved themselves unworthy of the responsibility. A simple answer would be to transfer the responsibility back to a government authority rather than leave it in the hands of a listed corporation. The only problem with that is that the most qualified body, the Australian Wheat Export Authority has already shown a lapse of ethical will in relation to the scandal.
Minister for Trade, Vaile recently raced off to Baghdad to pull some kind of wheat deal out of the ashes of the AWB debacle. It would have been a far easier task if parliament had first stripped AWB of their grip on exports, even if  that meant an open market while the whole issue was sorted out. Logic and commonsense appear to be other assets in sort supply in Canberra.

The real irony of the whole affair is that the US administration, normally quick to take advantage of trade issues and who have fought hard to dismantle Australia’s monopoly wheat exporting system, seem to have forgotten this is all happening.
Perhaps it is something in the wheat, a mind altering fungus or contaminated iron filings. Whatever the reason the US has ceased its grandstanding and bluster over the single desk marketing practice and apparently, quietly accepted Australian explanations for actions which appear to be corrupt.

Little wonder the head counsel at the Cole Inquiry lapsed into a Basil Fawltey parody at one hearing session. It wasn’t quite “are you deaf, blind and stupid?” It was close enough.