It is strongly promoted by Balldale famer Pat Drum (reference WIN TV December 8, 2009) with opposition from Sussan Ley, MP for Farrer.

Sussan Ley MP claims that to go back to the single desk is to go back to the bad old days.

About 75 years ago in the early 30s as a teenager, I carted wheat from the family farm with the horse teams to Oaklands and Berrigan in the day of the free market.

It was the same marketing system that we now have again today. So who is putting the clock back?

It is the Labor Party that has put the clock back 60 years with the help of the Liberals.

Reg O'Neill MBE, Sir John Cass KB, Milton Taylor CBE and others fought for and won marketing reform of the Australian wheat industry.

They were the intellectual spearhead of wheat-marketing reform.

Under the single desk, the Australian wheat industry grew and consolidated with the help of dedicated agronomists and plant breeders.

Western Australia grew from a low base to be the leading wheat-growing state of Australia.

Australia produced the best milling wheat in the world and was much sought-after in sensitive world markets.

It is a humbug that Australian wheat growers have to fight again for orderly marketing or Australia will be importing wheat for stockfeed and human consumption for our rapidly growing urban population.

Pat Drum, Ross Durham, Jock Munro and others have what it takes to get orderly marketing back on the agenda to cope with our erratic rainfall, distance from markets and whatever else is needed to cope with the problems of our great wheat industry.

Kevin O'Neill

Tocumwal