As an academic, it's been very frustrating talking to the media and trying to convey to the public the academic work we've been doing on the industrial carbon tax—peer-reviewed, published work.
Our focus is on the industrial part of the industry and how the policy impacts the competitiveness of the ag sector, knowing that margins are incredibly thin. It's been our concern since day one.
The focus in the media, with the public, has always been on retail. We all know that in retail, prices can be impacted by hundreds of factors. When an economist says that the carbon tax doesn't impact retail prices, from our standpoint it's impossible. You can't say that scientifically. However, you can assess how the policy is impacting farmers, processors and their competitiveness over time, which could obviously impact food security.