The discussion paper was released in January 2007. The closing date for submissions is 23 February 2007.

The Committee's Terms of Reference require it to report to the Australian Government "on the elements desired by growers in an export marketing system. These desired elements, or principles, will be a vital input to the government's consideration of future marketing arrangements and the design of these arrangements."

The actual terms of reference of the Wheat Export Marketing Consultation Committee focus on the role of the Committee "to undertake extensive consultations with the Australian grains industry, particularly growers, about future wheat export arrangements on behalf of the Australian Government and to report its findings back to the government. the report will be used by the government to inform its decision on future wheat export marketing arrangements."

It is emphasised that "the Committee is to listen and obtain the views of industry participants, particularly growers, and report to government on the views expressed, preferences for export marketing arrangements and the core principles underlying these views. The Committee will provide, particularly from the viewpoint of growers, for Government to consider in deciding how future wheat export marketing arrangements should be structured."

There are three common themes in these statements:

• An emphasis on grower consultation e.g. "particularly from the viewpoint of growers", "particularly growers" and "desired by growers."
• An emphasis on input to a Government decision-making process e.g. "to consider", "inform its decisions" and "used by the government."
• An emphasis on principles rather than actual marketing arrangements e.g. "the core principles underlying these views" and "desired elements or principles."

These themes override listed issues for consideration which are described as "principles and issues" e.g. pooling arrangements, ability to choose who to sell to, transparency of marketing arrangements and market information and security of payments. The Discussion Paper identifies  three broad categories of marketing arrangements - single desk, multiple licensing system and deregulation but these are incidental to the identified themes.

Based on the Discussion Paper, the intention is to base a decision and argue that the decision on marketing arrangements is based on principles identified by growers during the consultation process. The challenge for growers, therefore, is to establish a link between the principles that are important  and what marketing arrangements most appropriately reflect and reinforce these princ iples. If growers do not make this connection, then, the Committee and the Government will have the default opportunity.

One possible connection is that growers could decide that the values and principles of co-operation as last e4stablished by the International Co-operative Alliance in 1995 should inform future wheat marking arrangements. The logic of this, therefore, is that co-operative marketing arrangements should be supported.