Reminder: MLA Members Have Chance To Vote

AUSTRALIA - All Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) members are reminded to gain their full voting entitlements, ahead of the annual Annual General Meeting (AGM).
calendar icon 25 August 2011
clock icon 2 minute read
Meat & Livestock Australia

The Australian Beef Association (ABA) Chairman, Brad Bellinger, said: “All MLA members should have received their 2010-2011 levies notice."

"It is vital that this year producers fill out the number of stock that they have sold or the levies paid and return the form to MLA by the 5 October. This will entitle you to vote at the MLA AGM on the 17 November.”

In the last two MLA AGMs only an estimated 2.5 per cent of levy payers obtained their voting entitlements and used them to then vote as a result 41 of the top voters; - many of whom receive money from MLA, have controlled the vote.

This year the MLA has revised the sliding scale for calculating votes upwards giving larger levy payers more votes and diluting smaller voters power.

It is vital this year that more producers obtain their votes to counter moves by the MLA to move further away from democracy.

Brad Bellinger continued: “The MLA and the Peak Councils rely on producer apathy to pass motions at the MLA AGM’s with minimum resistance. By gaining your votes you can have a say in the company that the government forces you to pay levies to fund it.”

If you pay transaction levies to MLA and are not a member of MLA you have until the 16 September to become a member of MLA and still be eligible to vote at this year’s MLA AGM.

“Independent MLA members will be putting forward motions at the MLA AGM this year that we predict will not be supported by the MLA Board or the Peak Councils. Do not give large multinational processing companies control of the company that you are forced to fund by throwing your levies notice in the bin,” Mr Bellinger said.

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