As I recall the Australian Wheat Board handled this. The same AWB also gave nearly $300 million in the form of bribes to the former government of Iraq.
The Australian Army later assisted to invade the country because the Iraqi government were alleged to have ties to terrorists.
Does this mean the AWB might have funded terrorists?
Really it shows how monopolies operate and the AWB did well to keep theirs as long as they did given the way our capitalist society says market competition is the answer. You've got to hand it to those wily farmers, the National Party are a political lobby group operating beyond the realm of ordinary practitioners of the dark arts of influencing policy for minority groups.
And, as the troops return home from Iraq, you've got to wonder how long it'll be before people start admitting it was wrong for Australia to be involved.
I'm starting to think we'll have to wait until John Howard dies. Then, after the pompous public funeral, it'll be like that episode of Four Corners after Labor won the election when remaining Liberals said "Well, we asked Howard to go but he didn't listen." It's obvious the old guy had hearing problems.
