Re: [Vic]Report confirms open access fears

[amorton@mudguard.ee.mu.oz.au (Anthony Morton)]

>http://www.theage.com.au/business/2001/04/09/FFX9C8FO9LC.html
>
>[....]
>
>Three commission reports found that national competition policy had gone too
>far and could prevent firms building new infrastructure crucial for
>long-term prosperity.
>
>Commission chairman Gary Banks warned that the quality of Australia's
>infrastructure was at risk if the Federal Government did not substantially
>water down the regulatory regime imposed on assets worth more than $100
>billion. "It is important to have an effective regulatory framework for
>essential infrastructure services," Mr Banks said. "But regulations should
>avoid promoting competition and lower prices at the expense of the necessary
>investment in this important area. Otherwise consumers could eventually
>become worse off."

So let me get this straight.

Ten years ago these Productivity Commission people were urging deregulation
on us in order to increase competition and get the economy working on perfect
competitive free market principles.

Now they're urging deregulation on us because governments have apparently
been _too_ successful in encouraging competition.  So deregulation wasn't
meant to give us a competitive free market after all.

Does anyone else detect a bad smell here?

TM