LEVY TO FUND COST OF E I

It is iniquitous that legislation to levy the horse industry to fund the 80% cost of E I is being rushed through before the result of the Callinan enquiry will be known. Any levy should be fair & equitable - so a levy on all service fees from all shuttle stallions for both 2008 & 2009 seasons would be an excellent starting point, followed closely by levy on all Thoroughbreds sold at auction in 2008/2009 financial year, and a levy on all prizemoney won by Thoroughbred racehorses in the 2008/2009 year. The taxes payable on the government grants and CHAPS payments should go directly to the fund and not to general revenue. The levy on registration of equestrian horses is OK but some horses are multi-registered so they should only have to pay once. There are plenty of people whose horses are not registered so they won't pay anything. There should be a levy on all horses slaughtered at meatworkds retrospective to 25 August and continuing to the end of 2008. I would be willing to bet however that there won't be any levies on shuttle stallion fees, Thoroughbred auctions or prizemoney on races.
Sally Pinnington, Gold Coast