This report contains the commission’s latest quantitative estimates of Australian government budgetary assistance to industry. It also discusses recent developments in tariff, budgetary and other assistance in a range of sectors of the economy over the past year, and some recent international policy developments affecting Australia‘s trade.

The Queensland sugar industry is once again pleading for more government assistance. Alex Robson argues that such assistance does more harm than good and that the best course of action may be to abandon the notion of targeted regional assistance altogether.

Papua New Guinea is showing every sign of economic paralysis, governmental collapse and social despair, despite the best efforts of past AusAID strategies respecting PNG's sovereign leadership. Australia cannot afford to ignore the shared history and future of our closest neighbour, and needs to reassess its approach to helping PNG, and how this will affect...