The Australian Agricultural Economics Society has made a practice of not being directly involved with political matters or taking a stance on matters of economic policy. In accordance with the constitutional objectives of the Society, our role has been to foster interest in such matters, to foster analysis of them and to facilitate discussion but not to put forward a particular viewpoint as being the Society's. On the other hand, our Constitution requires the Society: -to encourage the study of agricultural economics in Australia and to promote high standards of accomplishment in research, teaching and extension in this field'; and inter alia -to promote the profession of agricultural economics in Australia ... '. Therefore, when a matter of government policy and the way it is being implemented affects these objectives, the Society must become involved. The issue I have in mind is that which centres around competency standards in the professions and I believe that issue has the potential to assume crisis proportions for our profession.