News

Horse Levy Bill Decision Sells Out

5th Feb 2009

Australian Racing Board - ARB Press Release - Thursday, 5 February 2009

The Australian Racing Board Chairman has said that last night’s vote in the Senate against a horse disease response levy bill was a massive sell out by the Federal Opposition.

“The decision by the Federal Opposition last night to kill off the horse levy Bill goes beyond disappointing - it shows a wanton disregard for the future of the horse industry”.

“This is not rocket science – every livestock industry from cattle to chickens has a statutory levy in place to fund the cost of disease outbreaks, and the horse industry needs one as well. The name of the piece of legislation says it all “Horse Disease Response Levy: if we don’t have a levy then the health authorities won’t lift a finger the next time we have a disease outbreak. You might think that the Federal Opposition would understand that because that’s the system they put in place 10 years ago and it covers everything including cattle, dairy, chickens, sheep, lambs, goats and pigs.” – Bob Bentley, Chairman, Australian Racing Board.

Mr Bentley also noted that the Federal Opposition vote against the Bill compounded 10 years ago of procrastination during the Howard Government’s term of office.

“What makes the Federal Opposition’s actions even worse is that it follows 10 years of procrastination on the issue while they were in office. Minister after Minister in the Howard Government was “going” to do something about a horse disease response levy but it always ended up in the too-hard basket. After 10 years of sitting on their hands while they had responsibility they then commit the ultimate sell out – the new Minster Tony Burke recognises the size and importance of the horse industry and has put forward a responsible Bill only to see it defeated”.- Bob Bentley

Mr Bentley said that the Federal Opposition’s failure to support the Bill was a failure to support the hundreds of thousands of Australian’s whose lives and livelihoods were linked with the horse industry.

“Who have they listened to except a handful of whingers. Every peak body in the horse industry, including the Australian Horse Industry Council, supported this Bill. The only people who didn’t were a miscellaneous coalition of ill-informed and misguided. If the Federal Opposition truly cared about the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives are going to be affected the next time a horse disease outbreak occurs then they would have supported this Bill. Obviously they now join the minority of the ill informed and misguided”. – Bob Bentley