Dan Daly, an officer of the Department of Primary Industries, compiled this critique of drought policy after being transferred to the Department’s Drought Secretariat. Qualified originally in agriculture and latterly in economics, his analysis was inconsistent with the conventional wisdom of the day.
” The potential for a drought begins on the first day after rain. As dry day follows dry day, the possibility of a drought developing increases. It can become difficult to distinguish
between ‘normal weather’ and ‘drought’. The distinction between what is normal and what is not blurs with each passing day.”
Society President Charles Nason was acquainted with Dan Daly. “Dan Daly was brave enough to speak out about his concerns about drought subsidies , was stood down as a result… It took a brave man to speak up in Qld those days.”
Mr Day was removed from the Secretariat in 1989 and his analysis came to an end. The book was published in 1994.