K Heitman & Co wrote:
> It's not immediately obvious why a secondary market is in
> the interests of the owner of .au - the Federal Government.

I see a link between national competition policy and an efficient secondary
market.

I suggest that an efficient secondary market in domain name licences would
be interests of the owner of .au - the Federal Government.  I also suggest
that it would be in the interests of peak industry bodies which represent
the great majority of Australia's million or so small businesses.

Australian Governments, notably the Commonwealth Government and its core
policy Departments of the Treasury, Finance & Administration, Prime Minister
& Cabinet, Industry, Tourism and Resources, Communications, IT and the Arts,
the ACCC, Productivity Commission and the National Competition Council are
interested in promoting enhanced competition.  They have spent the better
part of the last two decades doing this.  Peak industry bodies have
supported the development of national competition policy.

Furthermore, the Commonwealth Government is particulary interested promoting
the reduction of 'red tape' for small business.  See "Reducing the business
costs of regulation, Productivity Commission, Speeches - Chairman, Mar-03
<www.pc.gov.au/speeches/cs20030320/index.html>.

Ian Johnston