NORTH EAST AND GOULBURN MURRAY
Part of the Farmer Group Rural Newspapers Covering Victoria Published since 1984
37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta 3677
FEBRUARY, 2015
LIF TO UT
$1 at newsagents
PAGES 7-10
Beef/Bull Sales
PAGE 17
Farmer to Farmer
HARVEST TRIBUTE: Friends of the late Gordon Wall rallied around to pay tribute to their good mate by harvesting the Cosgrove farmer’s last wheat crop after he passed away from cancer. See page 20 for full story.
Yes or no on GST? Differing opinions in the Victorian Farmers Federation confuse the issue of tax on fresh food BY JODIE FLEMING
jfleming@ nemedia.com.au
the GST has already occurred at the VFF conference in June last year and was followed by a vote confirming that the of-
ficial policy of the VFF is that it does not oppose an increase in the rate of the GST. VFF vice president David Jochinke said that the VFF is yet to adopt a policy position on the GST and anyone claiming the group supports extending the GST or raising the rate “is talking rubbish”.
“The fact is resolutions were brought to the VFF conference last year that called on our members to oppose the extension of the GST to food and oppose any increase in the rate of the GST. “Our farmer members considered these resolutions and decided to let them lie on the
table until this June’s VFF conference. “At the time members decided to postpone debate, given the Federal Government hadn’t even released its issues paper on tax reform and the GST,” Mr Jochinke said. However, according to VFF Sunraysia branch policy
ON PROPERTY SALE TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2015 Jim Bruce 0419 600 355 Stephen Street 0428 579 338 Trevor Parker 0428 578 074 Kevin Sanderson 0418 574 237
ANGUS www.witherswoodangus.com.au
spokesperson Bill McClumpha, the media release was factually incorrect and the VFF is in fact supportive of extending the GST to fresh food and that it is working to progress its agenda without genuine consultation with the grass roots membership. “Mr Jochinke mentions the two anti-GST resolutions I moved and claims that members decided to postpone debate on these resolutions. Continued page 4
70 Bulls on Sale Manager: Ian Peake 0419 111 936
John and Joan Woodruff 0412 002 509 Hoysted Road, Taminick via Glenrowan
V/12d12844-V3/06-15
THE many voices within the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) cannot seem to decide on whether the lobby group has made up its mind on whether a goods and services tax (GST) should be applied to fresh food. The VFF recently sent out a media release stating that it rejected claims that it supports extending the GST to fresh food and that it has yet to adopt a position on the subject, however others within the VFF claim that debate on