ALL HORSE OWNERS NEED TO TAKE URGENT ACTION!!

On Thursday the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Tony Burke introduced a bill into Parliament to force recognized Breed and Performance Associations to collect a fee ($100?) on all new registrations, to help pay for the costs of fighting the EI outbreak. By pushing this thru the parliament at this time he is pre-empting any findings by the Callinan Inquiry and also his own newly announced 'Independent Review of AQUIS', and will be forcing a very small percentage of Australian horse owners to bear the huge costs of fighting the outbreak.
EI has been categorized as category 4. This means industry pays 80%, government 20%. The horse industry is arguing that the disease should be category 3 or 50:50 share. Category 4 diseases have only limited socioeconomic impact and are production diseases that only affect the horse industry. We (the horse industry) say the disease has a dramatic socioeconomic impact and affects many more people and businesses than the horse industry. The proposed levy is only on owners of registered horses but the benefit of control extends to owners of all horses and to people outside the horse industry, including government who are major beneficiaries of wagering income.
It is iniquitous that we should be required to pay for the control of the recent outbreak, particularly if the Callinan Enquiry finds that AQIS was negligent and responsible! AQIS have regulations which protect them even if they are proven negligent. Therefore it will be a moral and political issue.
PLEASE DO NOT SIT ON YOUR HANDS!! CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MP's AND THE MINISTER AND SHADOW MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, AND PASS THIS EMAIL ON TO EVERYONE YOU CAN THINK OF WHO MIGHT HELP US TO PREVENT THIS BILL AND OTHER SIMILAR REGULATIONS BEING PASSED!
EMAILS TO, (polite please)......
THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, MR TONY BURKE...
Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au


WITH COPIES TO THE SHADOW MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE,


MR NIGEL SCULLION


senator.scullion@aph.gov.au