the ACPI was the Economic Planning Advisory Council (EPAC), which was also tripartite (between the Commonwealth and State governments, businesses representatives and trade unions) and was designed to offer alternative economic policies and increase competition within major professions (Head, 1997: 344).
             The implications for society under a corporatist regime have formed the basis for debate over the benefits and disadvantages of such agreements. In terms of the division of power amongst the Australian society, it is argued that one benefit of corporatism is to provide an access point to the government for different interest groups, by creating a collective voice. Rather than hundreds of interest groups all competing to influence the government's decisions; groups representing similar interests unite to form a much more powerful representation of society's interests (Heywood, 2002: 81). This was the idea behind the bipartite and tripartite agreements of the time. The government (through election) represented the people; the trade
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