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 Disunity, infighting holding back wool industry: Burke 

Disunity, infighting holding back wool industry: Burke

13 Nov, 2008 05:16 PM
Tony Burke has fired a pull-your-socks-up message to directors at Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) ahead of next week's board election, but concedes there's nothing the Government can do if the infighting continues.

The Minister for Agriculture has told Rural Press this week that AWI directors need to show a "higher level of unity than what's been there so far".

But he won't comment on the election process or the candidates running for a seat at wool's wobbly table.

No matter what the outcome of next week's controversial board elections at Australian Wool Innovation, there will be no intervention by the Government to change future election processes or even appoint an administrator, as suggested, if the infighting continues.

Mr Burke said AWI is "an industry-owned" corporation and "it's absolutely in the interests of the industry that they show a level of unity".

"As minister, I'm certainly not going to interfere or state an opinion on individual candidates or the election," Mr Burke said.

"But I will, on behalf of the people paying their levies to them, say that the level of disunity works against the industry."

Despite the levies being locked into place by Government legislation, there is no role for the Government in determining the election process or making improvements to the corporatised structure to get around the politicisation of board elections.

"We've got an industry-owned corporation because industry wanted it, and legislation went through the Parliament to establish it.

"The principle needs to be that industry needs to try and make this work."

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Date: Newest first | Oldest first
Get rid of Chick Ollson and Wally Merriman. That'll end the disunity problem.
Posted by Brindi, 13/11/2008 9:36:44 PM
Good on you, Tony. You set the wheat industry back 60 years when you told us you knew more about marketing than the majority of growers did, when you were only in the job for a few months.

Now you're sticking your nose in the wool industry. Up till 12 months ago, you had not been on a farm. Now you think you know it all again. Please get lost.

Posted by Barely surviving., 14/11/2008 7:29:42 AM
Tony Burke is spot on with his AWI board observations and the undeniable truth was eventually exposed regarding AWB board directors. Wool producers can have equivalent AWB pain by voting in more AWGA directors onto the AWI board before the corporate regulators bring them to book.
Posted by piecemaker, 14/11/2008 10:00:50 AM
We have had "divide and rule" by McLachlan & van Rooyen since 2002, until Ian stepped down in April.

The AWI Board was then 3 v 3 and they were going to have to work together to find consensus.

But no, McLachlan wanted to rule from the grave and appointed three new supposedly "independent" directors that he approved.

This style of leadership where power is more important than good policy and positive results has resulted in continued industry decline. This must change.

Posted by Martin Oppenheimer, 14/11/2008 10:36:04 AM
Minister Burke claims that AWI is an “industry owned” corporation and that he won’t or can’t intervene.

This is nothing more than political “smoke and mirrors”. Minister, all you have to do to remedy the situation is very simply “repeal” the Wool Services Privatisation Act 2000 (C’th) and “repeal” part 2 – “Wool” - of Schedule 27 of the Primary Industries (Excise) Levies Regulations 1999 and let the so called “corporation” stand on its own two feet.

When it (the corporation) falls over the so called “industry” will have spoken with unity.

Posted by Dr Bob, 14/11/2008 1:14:48 PM
Wool was in deep trouble before the divisions opened up in the AWI board. It was that trouble which brought in the new blood.

Tony Burke is telling it how it is. But it is not disunity that is the our problem.

Our main problem is direction. Under the old management, direction has been always down, to where we now find that our industry is being managed under a set of rules written by our sworn enemies.

Our existing management must carry the blame for this. Without big changes death is nigh.

Posted by Ted O'Brien., 14/11/2008 6:13:55 PM
Martin, Did Wal and Chick tell you this fairy tale? The only division at AWI is AWGA instigated - constant undermining of the board, leaks and complete disregard for governance. And you best get your sorry pen ready again...
Posted by Sir George, 14/11/2008 10:15:17 PM

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Tony Burke...watching the outcome of the fierce battle to control the board of AWI, but he won't intervene.
Tony Burke...watching the outcome of the fierce battle to control the board of AWI, but he won't intervene.
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