Meat Bd probe urged

Press, 27 November 1980, Page 4

Meat Bd probe urged

PA Wellington The Opposition member of Parliament for Timaru (Sir Basil Arthur) has attacked the Government’s moves to levy each head of stock slaughtered in New Zealand because it would increase costs to the consumer. The levy, payable on export meat only, funds the Meat Board. Sir Basil said when the bill was reported back from a select committee that the running of the board should be investigated. “It shows an increase in expenditure from 1973-74

of $4.1 million to $13.3 million in 1980-81. There should be an investigation into, the operation of the Meat Board,” he said. Sir Basil said this was agreed to last year by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Maclntyre) and the then chairman of the board, Mr Charles Hilgendorf. ~ This view was shared by the chairman’s successor, Mr A. M. Begg. Sir Basil asserted that because the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) had objected to the person who would chair the probe, it fell through. The board could increase the levy by 20 per

cent every year, which was a form of taxation without representation. Sir Basil said. The Government earlier in the year had refused to go along with the plan to introduce the levy on meat other than export. The Acting Minister of Agriculture Mr V. S. Young) had said in February that the position would be “an untenable one” for the Government to take, Sir Basil said. The Government’s attitude had now changed, but no evidence was supplied in the select committee for the change of decision.