If history of the last 200 years tells us anything, we have learned that no political or economic system is perfect or foolproof. Communism was a total disaster, yet there still seems to be a hankering for the simple, secure days of the USSR's communism in the hearts of some working class Russians. Rampant capitalism gave us the Global Financial Crisis and one only has to look to last night's Four Corners program to see its human impact in Australia.

I was a state MP in WA when the dairy industry deregulated in 2000. I had grave concerns about the impact of deregulation on diary farmers but voted with the government in support of the legislation. Today, 11 years later, the only dairy farmer-owned cooperative has gone bankrupt, the number of dairy farmers in WA has dropped by about 60% and milk production has dropped because the major supermarket chains have taken control of the industry and effectively reduced the price paid to dairy farmers. In hindsight, modification of the regulated industry would have been better, not total deregulation.

Now we have the potato deregulation debate starting up (again) because we have a state election in March 2013. I support regulation of this industry because it provides certainty to producers and suppliers, as well as 'reasonable' prices to all parts of the industry. The export potato industry is unregulated and some modifications are now needed to make the current regulations work better. But total deregulation would be a mistake and hand the industry over to total control by the supermarkets or a couple of very large growers.

I'm with you all the way there, Bernie.