Horse Flu 25 February 2008

***Transcript from Allan Jones**

One of the weaknesses of the Rudd Government is there doesn't seem to be anyone who's got any experience of life west of the Great Dividing Range.
There's an inquiry being conducted into the equine influenza crisis, which I might add was brilliantly handled in New South Wales by a Minister hardly anyone's heard of, Ian Macdonald.
He and his staff were outstanding.
But the inquiry by Mr Justice Callinan is establishing and will establish one thing.
Equine flu came here via Federal Government's quarantine incompetence.
Now the inquiry will embellish that a bit, but that's how we got EI.
Incompetence by a government statutory authority.
Yet the new Agriculture Minister, Tony Burke, an able young bloke from Western Sydney is now saying that the horse industry will have to help pay the cost of eradication.
Now of course you know I have an interest, but in this world you pay up if you're responsible.
Tony Burke's introduced new laws to impose a levy on the horse industry.
The horse industry has nothing to do with the spread of equine influenza.
The Federal Government's quarantine provisions failed and failed abysmally, under the previous Government.
And Tony Burke, you wanted Government, you've got it, and you've inherited the rubbish as well as the riches.
But don't start telling the horse industry they have to pay up.
This is monstrous.
The inquiry has already heard about the failure of quarantine at Sydney Airport and the Eastern Creek Quarantine Station.
The AQIS, Australian Quarantine Inspection Service, failed.
And already that has been documented at the inquiry.
One truck driver carried stallions from the airport to Eastern Creek.
The truck had never been disinfected and the truck driver says he'd never received written instructions from anyone on the disinfection of his vehicle.
The equine influenza outbreak will prove the failure of a Government instrumentality.
The failure on biosecurity issues.
The failure to adhere to quarantine protocols.
The failure to carry out responsibilities.
And now a wet behind the ears Tony Burke is saying that the horse industry will have to pay.