GRAINCORP BID TO BE ELECTION ISSUE

The bid by United States agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) to buy GrainCorp is set to be a contentious federal election issue as the Nationals pledged to campaign against the bid if it is not resolved before the election, according to The Australian Financial Review.

Nationals Deputy Senate Leader Fiona Nash said she would lobby Coalition leader Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey to oppose the bid in the opposition's election platform if the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) and Treasurer Chris Bowen fail to rule on the bid by the time an election date is set.

"If it becomes clear that the decision will not be made before an election I would certainly be taking [the issue] to both of them," Ms Nash said, according to the AFR.

"If a decision is not made by the current government there will certainly be strong lobbying from both sides [during the election campaign]."