Exposing the Lies - Part 1

Do you remember how, when first floating the concept of a Stallion Registration Levy as a means of underwriting "the world's richest harness race", Harness Racing Australia blithely claimed it was simply analogous to any other Agricultural or Livestock Levy?  Well - surprise, surprise - they LIED!

Their exact words, in the now infamous "Advance Australia Concept Paper" as released in October 2021, were:

Production Fees and Levies, applied at various points of an animals life, are a staple of Australian Livestock Industries, being used extensively to fund administration, industry campaigns and marketing activities, research, and disease preparedness.  Along these lines, a new Stallion Fee is proposed, with the funds raised being added to the Advance Australia Prizemoney pool along with funds from other sectors.

But, the thing is, Livestock Levies are supposed to be overseen by the Federal Government's Dept. of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and in 2009 their 'Levies Revenue Service' actually published a series of "Levy Principles and Guidelines" which were specifically designed to ensure that industry bodies PRESENT A SOUND CASE FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF ANY LEVY, and that such charges need to specifically address a 'MARKET FAILURE', AND THE BROAD INTEREST OF INDUSTRY MEMBERS.

You can read these 'guidelines' for yourself here.

• Market Failure?  Never identified - other than a wringing of hands by HRA that too much money was flowing offshore (which is of course what happens when you import any commodity)  
• Broad Interest of Industry Members?  Please!  Nothing could be further from the truth, with the monies gouged from your struggling, average breeder - through the introduction of a Breeding Tax - flowing straight into the pockets of a few rich individuals, or corporations.

And how do you like the following criteria? 

• A request for a new (or amended) levy requires 'stakeholder consultation' with all existing and potential levy payers. 

and better still ...

• A levy must be assessed giving consideration to the extent, nature and support or opposition provided by stakeholders.

Is it any wonder, therefore, that Harness Racing Australia never actually applied to the Federal Government to have their "Breeding (Livestock) Levy" approved, or indeed managed by, the Dept. of Agriculture?  Yes, we have checked!

Yet the thoroughbred industry, through Racing Australia, has their Stallion Registration regulated and monitored by Dept. of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

And, what is even more galling, is that when The Breeders Voice wrote to this federal department, to enquire precisely:

"what REDRESS might be available should a peak industry body arbitrarily introduce such a levy, seemingly without any consultation with the Dept. of Agriculture ...  and a levy that, what's more, negatively impacts breeders right across Australia - to the point where foaling numbers are likely to decline by 20% to 25% in the 2023 season, relative to the equivalent period in 2022!"

... we were advised that:

"If you or others have a concern about additional fees being imposed, I encourage you to continue to make your views known to that organisation, or to the relevant state-based organisation that is a member of Harness Racing Australia. For example, if you are located in New South Wales, Harness Racing New South Wales (HRNSW) conducts the commercial and regulatory functions of the harness racing industry in NSW. The Board and management from HRNSW provide industry representation to Harness Racing Australia"

Obviously, we are acutely aware of all of this ... but the problem is that all representations that The Breeders Voice has made to both the HRA, and each of the State Authorities, on behalf of stakeholders across Australia, have been met with stonewall silence!  

Why?  We believe because they are forced to believe HRA's lies, and as such are incapable of listening to reason and logic.  What a desperately sorry state of affairs.  EUREKA!