Labour opposed to meat-levy extension

Press, 2 September 1980, Page 14

Labour opposed to meat-levy extension

Labour’s shadow Minister of Agriculture (Sir Basil Arthur) says that his party is opposed to meat killed for domestic consumption being levied to help finance the Meat Board. The Government recently announced its agreement to this .course, after having reservations about the proposal. The Meat Board and Federated Farmers have maintained that the levy will be paid by producers, but there have been fears that it might be passed on to the consumer to foot the.bill. 1 “We are not convinced that the extension of the levy is necessarily the best way to ease the board’s financial problems,’’ said Sir Basil. The board had to delve into the meat industry reserve account to meet a $4.5 million deficit last year, and since 1962 $3O million in interest from the account had been used to keep the board afloat be-

cause the, export ’ meat levy was not providing enough, he said. , ; / . “What we do not accept is that the imposition of a domestic levy is the right way to handle the situation.” Sir Basil saiiL “There was to have been a Government probe’ into the board. When this, was announced last year both the board and .the Minister of Agriculture welcomed the review, and felt it was timely, but then" in a remarkable about-face, the Government cancelled the review and instead, it was < decided that . the, Meat .? -Board wopld review itself. - “We would like to see. a full public probe of the board to find out if sav- . . ings could be made, rather ■; ' than slapping ?a- levy-- oh domestic meat to rake in a few more dollars. . ?’ Sir Basil said, however, that Labour would support the domestic levy if a full public inquiry showed there was no viable alternative. '■.’ . .