What a miserable waste of everyone's time!
The Rudd government has decided not to reform Australia's book importation regime - at all. Not even the teeniest bit of modernisation. Not even reducing the 90 days on the backlist to 30 days that every party in the industry expected and would have welcomed.
It's almost as if they've discovered Amazon in the last twelve months and concluded 'well, that's let us off the hook! We don't have to think, we don't have to debate, we don't have to upset anyone, we'll just sit back now and luxuriate in the accolades of the nation's authors. Productivity and economics can go to buggery. Basically, governing this country is all too hard'.
I'm flabbergasted! But at least I take comfort from the fact that I did predict it, fifteen months ago when this debate started:
'All of this [the author and publisher claims] is nonsense of course, but it is highly effective politically. No arid report or recommendation from an economic body like the Productivity Commission is going to be able to dislodge these noble sentiments from any politician's breast. So my strong sense is that the reform initiative will falter and the 30/90 day provisions remain'. (LOGOS 19/3, 2008)
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I can't bloody believe it either! What a waste of everyone's time. And keeping the 90 day re-supply time - now that is an absolute joke. I am shaking my head in disbelief.
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