A report in the Sun-Herald of 23 September 2007 claims that Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran has signalled that Victoria will receive priority in the allocation of equine flu vaccine shortly expected to arrive from France. This priority is contested by NSW Agriculture Minister Ian McDonald, who claims the greatest need for the vaccine is in NSW and Queensland.

If the Sun-Herald report is correct, Mr McGauran appears out of step with the provisions of Section 99 of the Constitution in implying that he has over-riding power to determine priorities as between States in allocation of available vaccine stocks.

Section 99 of the Constitution says:

"99. The Commonwealth shall not, by any law or regulation of trade, commerce, or revenue, give preference to one State or any part thereof over another State or part thereof."

Profound concern exists with respect to the thoroughbred industry throughout Australia, and it is to be hoped that available vaccine will be used in the most appropriate epedemiological manner, and if such an approach necessitates sharing as between responsible authorities, in this case State government ones, that such sharing be on an equitable basis.

If State and/or Federal funds are to be applied to assisting the thoroughbred industry overcome this disaster, it is doubly important that none of any such financial support ends up being diverted to effectively subsidising the requested three month exclusive access that has been sought over the Randwick Racecourse facility next year in association with World Youth Day. See: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/30/1966425.htm

With the racing industry out of action for an extended time while this outbreak of disease is hopefully brought under control, its not hard to see some misguided zealots having thought that this might be a good way of effectively funding that event, and its associated Papal visit, at taxpayers expense.

With the proximity of a Federal election, Peter McGauran and the Federal government would be well advised to believe that the community expectation is one of adherence to Constitutional propriety, rather than seeming disregard thereof.

Could it be that prevention in Victoria will stop the inevitable spread to the state or is it more important to stop the spread here so that Victoria is safe.
Either way this whole thing has far-reaching implications in peoples lives.
Why can't they get enough vaccine for all states.

Goddess,
It may well be that the manufacture of the correct strain of vacine is the limiting factor in how much is available initally.

The question of whether we use the first batch to contain the disease in one area or to protect another area is something I will leave to the disease control experts. Maybe it is six of one and half a dozen of another. Ths sooner more vacine arrives the better.

Actually, the first 20,000 vaccinations arrive in Australia on Thursday. Of those, 1,500 will go to Victoria to protect against the Spring Carnival, despite the fact Victoria has no cases of EI yet.

The remaining 18,500 are to be split evenly between QLD and NSW - yes, NSW has more horses infected, though no thoroughbreds in QLD have been infected at this stage and they want to safeguard against that.

A further 30,000 vaccinations are expected to arrive in Aust on the following Thursday, and there's plans to apply for 100,000 more.

The vaccines will be used in buffer zones - a total rollout isn't being considered at this stage. For my two bob, a total rollout would be a bad idea - it would mask symptoms and make it damn hard to control and would effectively be waving the white flag. Plus, it would be an ongoing cost for every horse in Australia.

Letshope it all gets fixed soon.
Imagine no Melbourne Cup.

i reckon its time they simply made the jockey's foot race.

every time i see a tumble and then someone comes out and puts down the horse..it just breaks my heart.

The ABC News item of Thu Sep 20, 2007, headed "Racing industry shocked at Youth Day plan" (see: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/20/2038369.htm ) states "Senior horse racing officials say they are astounded that the New South Wales Government is considering allowing organisers of World Youth Day to have access to the locked down Randwick Racecourse."

This would seem to be especially so in the light of Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran's statement of 2 September that "The infected stallions are still there so it means it has escaped Eastern Creek or the airport or somewhere in the chain by human contact"

It is not only perplexing, given that human contact is at this stage the main suspect in this escape of the disease from quarantine, to see that there is any suggestion that World Youth Day organisers will be added to the few absolutely essential persons permitted access to the Randwick Racecourse facility, but also alarming.

The alarm arises from the fact that if under the present conditions the NSW government is prepared to even consider allowing non-essential World Youth Day planners in, it must mean that the NSW government is committed to giving this Catholic church event the 10 weeks or so free access to Randwick NEXT year that the AJC, as legitimate occupiers of the facility, are so against. See ABC News item "Randwick officials stand firm on papal mass" http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/29/2018234.htm . Is this part of a sort of standover deal at which the Catholic church has so excelled over the years?

Such an ill-advised NSW government intention would mean that the racing industry would now lose TWO spring racing carnivals in succession. With tens of millions of taxpayers' dollars having to be spent to contain this outbreak, let alone to compensate the industry for the consequences of the quarantine breach, Australia cannot afford to carry the industry's loss of next year's earnings just to provide security and facilities for a Papal Mass.

Get smart, Australia.

It's funny, you ask anyone, stranger or friend, anyone whether they agree to this ludicrous idea of holding the Youth Forum at Randwick instead of somewhere like Telstra Stadium and I'd bet good money you won't find anyone whose name isn't Iemma that agrees on having it at Randwick.

Tobias
Well it must be a Labour brain storm because they did the "same thing" here on the Gold coast Sunday Evening at the Gold Coast Turf Club.
The Australian university of sports had six thousands kids walking all over ground where horses have been locked down to tarvel back up to Brisbane and spread a few more germs.

They also had the public in outrage and tied up all our police with hundreds of calls of complaints about the noise.
People were calling up from as far as three and four miles away into both Broadbeach and Southport Police Station.
They did not turn the noise down even when being asked to do so by police.
Nobody should be on those tracks especially six thousand kids.
Take a good look at labours grand ideas pease everybody before you vote for them.
As for the flu Warren Truss was warned years ago and did nothing.
He should stand down.
He always has been and always will be a total discrace.
He has been sent footage of barbaric! acts of cruelty to Australian Animals as well over many years but did nothing.
Hes reasonsibly for so much suffering and if Howards re elected he should dump him real quick along with the discusting Bill Heffernann.
Bill calls himself a "Christian" but sends millions of animals to unbeleibable cruelty instead of slaughter here and keeping jobs for the next generation.
Shame

Pale, they are self-seeking politicians and if there isn't a $ on the horizon, they do not give a rats.
You, I and most reasonable people understand that animals feel pain,
sadness and helplessness. As long as the almighty dollar is there they will not listen and no matter what you do they never will.

When the Equine Flu was first announced that it was affecting horses in Australia I looked it up on the internet to find it had jumped to greyhounds in America. They also said there was a immunisation available often given to the foal when its mother contracted the virus.
Another search today brings up more unsettling information.
http://www.infectiousdiseases.about.com/od/petslivestockandgame/p/dogsflu.htm - 27

Tobias
Thanks for your sensible comments. I will include Ma Edda reply as well in one post.
It is only the Australian pubic that dont know that all diseases stem from Animal Cruelty "including bird flu'.

Call it horse flue or small ox or whatevr you wish. Ever thought about wy now? A nation of Gamblers [ smart]

The fact is virus and disease come from intensive feed lots and inhumane treatment of Animals world wide.

It is just as if you had a huge flood and put thousands or millions of people shoulder to shoulder.

The truth is some countries overseas eye Australia off because of its past free green disease free reputation.

Unlike the Australia public who have been kept in the dark they know where it all started and are interested to buy from a country with grass roots free range farms.

However that is changing and unless we act now our future will be destroyed.

Remember when you would take the kids or grandkids for a drive in the country to see the farm Animals?

Now they are hidden from he public eye in intensive feed lots or piggerys like Amanda Vanstones pig farms- or her SHARE investment
SHAME!
Bird that can never spread their wings. Pigs that cant stand turn or follow their natural instincts.

Animal being fed EVERY DAY Anti Bi - otics to TRY to kerb the diseases.

Is it ANY wonder we have virus`s we cant control?

Dr Alibec wrote a book on where Small pox came from and what was done to the poor monkeys.
Turn your back everybody while you can because the truth is not far away.
I believe God is furious at the treantment of Animals by everybodies so called Gods.

I was truly amazed to see in one of the ABC news items in relation to the use of the Randwick Racecourse facilities for World Youth Day, the outright allegation by the AJC of bad faith on the part of the Catholic Church in those negotiations. Coming from the AJC, you would have to believe its likely true.

This makes me ask myself: Is the NSW government deliberately trying to create discord between its legitimate long-term lessee of this prime real estate, the AJC, and itself, in order to make some or all of the AJC's operations at Randwick appear not to have a viable future?

It sure looks like it, with that government even thinking of allowing so much as one extra unnecessary pair of feet to tread in the quarantined area. Next question of myself: Could the Catholic Church, or an organisation associated with it, have its eyes on this piece of prime public real estate, and be seeking through influence within the NSW Parliament to have the existing lessees kicked out so that it can proceed with a lucrative development deal? Or are other unidentified interests using the Catholic Church's interest in the facilities as a smokescreen for a planned asset-stripping of the NSW public for private profit.

Last question of myself: could it have been that Equine Influenza did not so much escape, as was deliberately released by some misguided zealot, in order to put pressure on the racing industry in general and the AJC in particular to co-operate in NSW government plans to apply public assets for private profit?

As chance would have it, I was laying down some old newspapers as garden sheet mulching the other day. Several of them contained reports of the 1994 mystery virus that ended up claiming Queensland trainer Vic Rail's life, together with many racehorses at that time. One article stated that the Queensland Major Crimes Squad were investigating the possibility of foul play in the introduction of the then unidentified virus on that occasion.

Stick to your guns, AJC! And good luck.

Forrest

Your right on the Mark re using race courses. As I said they had 6 THOUSANDS YOUTH pluss others here just last week.
I just drove past there a few minutes ago and a couple of horses are still down the end of the field not far from where they were. Its was put on by Australian university youth sport.
Then they all trudged off mainly back to Brisbane and Sunshine coast.
Umm Vick Rail- Did you know there was a vet who died but he was working to prove it was something along the line of what you were mentioning.
I had a riding school at the time and a part time worker who was a well know contact in Melbourne informed me this was going to happen six weeks before it happend. Not the horses but a horse trainer.
Said a mate had brought a vile into the country and NOBODY would be able to decect what is was. Told him I didnt want to know and forgot about it until my mother called in a panic telling me to watch my horses and myself because THE VIRIS as they called it was around. I felt the hairs on the back on my neck stand up until I heard they were going to kill all the horses to make it look good.
Several of us tried to save the horses and thats when I did get involved in their LIES.
There were profesors waiting overseas to come at their own expense. PROVE there was nothing wrong with the horses BUT the were waiting on an invitation from the Australia Minister.
They told lie after bat lie to public including NOBODY would take the horses onto their Properties.
Anybody who tried to help WAS dealt with.
Too bad- screw them. How dare the kill innocent horses to cover up others problems!
I suspect its extorsion of kind and how better to hurt the Aussies. A Nation of gamblers.
The poor horses locked in boxes and staff not thee to even take them for their daily walk. Its cruel.

Forrest
May we suggest with respect in future if you dont really want to know the truth then think twice about opening a thread.
Here is how it should work.
Somebody opens a thread.- If your really lucky another person may read that thread who has some inside knowledge on the topic.
They may after considerable thought decide to post some of that information to support your thread.
The idea behind it is of course also to inform the public there by supporting freedom of speech.

Sometimes people take extrordinary risks to do the right thing.
We can see you were given too much information which takes us to the question.
Why bother raising the matter in the first place.?

A rather strange thing to do to raise Vick Rail then run from comments regarding that particular event.
We did have conversations with his x and several others.

As you raised it we supported your thread at considerable risk.

We just wont bother taking you as a serious poster in future.
Our mistake

People Against Live Exports & Intensive Farming
I do not understand your lashing out at Forrest, I must have missed something.
Am I to understand you are angry at the reference to the Death of Vic Rail, and the length of time it took for authorities in finding the cause as well as preventing any further
Disease & deaths in both horse & man. The present outbreak appears to be
--similar to the Hendra or Equine Morbillivirus that struck in Australia a few years ago. ... virus that we once called Equine ...
http://www.abc.com.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/1999/21134.htm
“Equine morbillivirus has naturally caused disease in horses and humans.
Experimentally, cats and guinea pigs have been infected (3). The disease in cats is very similar to the disease in horses (8). The recent detection of neutralizing antibody to EMV in the native Australian fruit-bats suggests a possible resevoir for EMV (10)” I Quote from:.
http://www.phsource.us/PH/PALM/PDA/EQUINE%20MORBILLIVIRUS%20PNEUMONIA.pdf

We all need to be vigilant in our handling of all animals be they domestic or wild, and by our actions cause no harm to either, man nor beast.

Ma Edda
If you read from the seventh line down from ` our very first post` you may understand.

If animal lovers (as I am too) would just look at this video then they would get better education on natural substances to fight diseases,yes this counts for people as well. If you would like more info of it's source I'll be happy to oblige, as I have years of experience with its use.Enjoy http://healthyagain.biz/silvervideo.html

Eftfnc
Thanks. I will have to transfer this to another computer as this one wont load it.
Sorry for delay in re[lying to you.
once we see it I will post a reply to you.
Thanks Again

Forrest G
I have only just now read your thread.
I cant belive how rude you were to pale.
I hope they never bother to post on your threads again
It would have taken guts to post that comment that you poached.
Clearly you a number one jerk
If you dont want to know the truth may I suggest you dont raise the questions.