Election time in Australia but not for HRA . . .

Gina Rinehart , Anthony Pratt , Andrew Forrest , Harry Triguboff , Kerry Stokes and Clive Palmer are amongst a group of Aussies who are multiple billionaires in their net wealth.

Australia is set for a Federal Election in a month’s time, so imagine if the Liberal Party headed by Scott and Joel went to the election with a policy of giving these billionaires some massive tax concessions, but to balance the books increased taxes for the millions of Aussies earning $100,000 a year or less.

I’m sure most of us would use our voting power under the democratic system to elect a new government.

So what Harness Racing Australia is proposing has some similarities. They are planning to conduct a $2 million slot race to be funded in part by a levy or tax on stallion service fees. Everyone connected to the breeding industry in Australia, including the stud operators, knows that such a levy/tax will be passed onto the broodmare owners.

The vast majority of these broodmare owners are hobby type people who breed a horse to race themselves, more often than not for country based stakes of less than $10,000 per race.

So why should any broodmare owner or stallion owner in fact contribute funds to a race that;

1. Will only assist an owner of a horse who has already won a big slice of prizemoney or a wealthy slot owner;

2. Will not provide any benefit or incentive to a current broodmare owner to breed more mares  –  in fact the reverse may occur;

3. Will not increase overall betting turnover on harness racing and therefore not increase prizemoney on the day to day racing.

The difference between a political election and HRA though is that in a democracy the people have the power through the voting system to throw out an unpopular or incompetent government.

HRA decision making is made by the executive, who are appointed to this committee and so the participants of the industry cannot overturn incompetence.

Another reminder of who those men and women are so you can put your views to them if the HRA proposal to tax stallion service fees comes to fruition:

Graeme Campbell   – Chairman of HRA [ a resident of NSW ].

Ken Brown   –   Chairman of HRNSW.

Dale Montieth   – Chairman of HRV.

Jodie Jones – Representing Racing QLD.

Neil Grose   –   Representing Tasracing Pty Ltd.

Emma Grigson –   Chairperson of HRSA.

Bob Fowler   – Board Member of Racing and Wagering WA.

Whether appointed or elected, the above people have a responsibility to be accountable to the industry they are servants of. They need to listen and consult and then make decisions based on common sense.

Breeders bodies and stallion owners have said in no uncertain manner;

WE DON’T WANT A TAX ON STALLION SERVICE FEES TO ASSIST THE FUNDING OF A SLOTS RACE.

Take a good look at what happened across the ditch at Cambridge on 14^th April.

Harnesslink Media